LG stalled bus-marshals scheme by threatening officers: Delhi CM Kejriwal

Suddenly, those officers started changing their noting and started writing on the file that this is not the work of CDVs, the chief minister said.Attributing the change in the officers stance to the alleged threats they received from the LG, Kejriwal accused Saxena of threatening them saying if they did not stop the scheme, they would be suspended, sent to jail, and the Enforcement Directorate ED and Central Bureau of Investigation CBI would be unleashed on them.Officers are crying.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena in the Assembly on Thursday, alleging that he stalled the bus-marshals scheme by threatening officers with suspension.

Kejriwal also said the language in an open letter written by Saxena to him on the one-time water bill settlement scheme was ''filthy''. There was no immediate reaction from the LG's office to the allegations levelled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader.

The AAP legislators strongly objected to the LG's open letter and the House passed a censure motion on the issue raised by Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha.

Kejriwal said when the AAP government was formed in 2015, it came with the promise that whatever it takes, it will ensure security for women. ''On one hand, CCTV cameras were installed inside buses, panic buttons were installed and along with this, bus marshals were appointed from 2015,'' he said.

The chief minister cited various instances where the marshals did good work and protected women and girls.

He said the scheme ran successfully for eight years from 2015 to 2022, pointing out that the three departments involved in the initiative were transport, revenue and finance.

''The transport department writes to the revenue department that we need so many marshals on buses. The revenue department recruits civil defence volunteers (CDVs) based on that and the finance department makes the payment. From 2015 to 2022, these three departments did their work without any problem, from requisition to recruitment to payment of salaries to the marshals,'' Kejriwal said.

However, from the beginning of 2023, all three departments suddenly changed their stance, he claimed.

''The officers were the same. Suddenly, those officers started changing their noting and started writing on the file that this is not the work of CDVs,'' the chief minister said.

Attributing the change in the officers' stance to the alleged threats they received from the LG, Kejriwal accused Saxena of threatening them saying if they did not stop the scheme, they would be suspended, sent to jail, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would be unleashed on them.

''Officers are crying. How can it happen that an officer who did requisition for four years suddenly saw the Civil Defence Volunteer Act in his dream and that there is a section in the Act that said this work could not be done?'' he asked.

Underlining the importance of bus marshals despite the presence of CCTV cameras and panic buttons, Kejriwal said he went to the LG and asked him for the rationale behind removing the CDVs.

''The LG asked that since CCTV cameras and panic buttons have been installed inside the buses, what is the need to spend Rs 280 crore? I said sir, my people are two crore people of Delhi. Let alone Rs 280 crore, I will spend Rs 2,800 crore. ''And I said if it could be done only with CCTV cameras and panic buttons, then CCTV cameras are installed all around the Raj Niwas and panic buttons would also be installed on the walls, what is the need for your security,'' he said.

Kejriwal said the LG had agreed to continue the scheme but subsequently, he learnt from newspapers that it was going to be stopped. He said he urged Saxena to keep the existing CDVs till the time home guards are appointed.

Daring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs to join him in getting the scheme approved by the LG, Kejriwal said leaders of the saffron party are shedding tears at a dharna of the marshals after removing them from their jobs.

''Those associated with the BJP should be ashamed of themselves. You do this kind of dirty politics. You get these people removed and cry with them at their dharna. Now you are saying that these people should be regularised. I am ready to do it, let us go to the LG now.

''If you have the courage, come with me to the LG now. I am ready to sign on a blank paper wherever you ask me to sign. I am ready to sign the files, I am ready to regularise them. Do not do drama, do not do dirty politics,'' he said.

Kejriwal said he received a letter from the LG on Wednesday that was ''deplorable''.

''This is the LG's letter to the chief minister. Is this language appropriate for communicating your point? No matter what differences we have among each other, this language is not appropriate, coming from the LG. We must be doing something good for Delhiites that our government secured victories in three consecutive elections, whereas your security deposits got forfeited,'' the AAP leader said.

He also alleged that ever since Saxena assumed office, the existing schemes of the Delhi government, which were in regular use, were stopped.

''The LG who preceded Shri Saxena was also not letting us start any new scheme. However, he never obstructed the ongoing schemes, such as those related to water, medicines, medical tests etc. He did not stop us from doing those things,'' Kejriwal said.

He asked the BJP to do politics, but not in a way that involves so much sin. ''Practise positive politics and do good work for votes. Everyone has their responsibilities in Delhi. If the BJP wants, it can win the hearts of Delhi's people by doing a lot of work, but it will not do that. It will only stop the AAP government from working,'' Kejriwal said.