Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Hitting out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitely on Saturday slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for staging dharna in the national capital and subsequently breaking law.
Targeting AAP`s protest against Delhi Police, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitely said, "Ministers took police by surprise and held dharna where it is prohibited."
Jaitley added that it is the responsibility of an elected government and its head to carry out governance in accordance with Constitution but Kejriwal did not do so, as his ministers "abandoned" the Secretariat and participated in the dharna.
"Ministers abandoned Sachivalay, they broke the law," senior BJP leader said in the backdrop of AAP`s darna at Rail Bhawan which was lead by Kejriwal and AAP supporters.
The BJP leader further said, the AAP ministers sent messages to their supporters to assemble in large numbers and their supporters tried to break the police barricade.
Attacking Kejriwal, he said, the Delhi chief minister delivered a speech advocating anarchy as a form of government and appealed to cops to go on leave, discard their uniform and join the protest and also threatened to obstruct the Republic Day parade.
"If the police in Delhi had responded to his call and abandoned its duty coupled with an invasion of his supporters during the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath, could it be said that the governance is being carried on in accordance with the Constitution. The answer to this question is a definitive `No`," Jaitley said.
He said the right to peacefully protest is part of legitimate political activity.
Every every citizen has a right to dissent, protest being a form of dissent, but an elected government has a responsibility of governance as per Constitution, he said.
According to him, there is a difference between sitting on a fast at Rajghat and giving a call to policemen to abandon their duty and obstructing the Republic Day parade.
"I am sure Arvind Kejriwal realizes this," he said.
Taking a dig at the planned protest of AAP, Jaitely had earlier said, AAP is more comfortable on the streets than inside the secretariat."
The AAP had demanded action against some Delhi Police officials who had a tiff with two its ministers.
However, the dharna was called off after the Lieutenant Governor mediated and sent two SHOs on leave.
With PTI inputs
