The ongoing standoff between the Delhi Police and the AAP government strongly reflected during a public event today as Transport Minister Gopal Rai openly attacked the Delhi Police for alleged "loot" and "harassment" of transporters and drivers.
Addressing a transporters meet here, Rai said the Delhi government may not have powers to act against police, which falls under the Union Home Ministry, but it has every "constitutional right" to act against the offenders.
"Rules are double edged. It can be a facilitator while it becomes a tool to exploit for some. In Delhi the kind of raids that take place at night and loot...As night descends men in uniform attack their preys.
"We are steadfast on waging a strong fight against such practises. We also urge the police to hold a joint meeting to put an end to this chain of loot and harassment," Rai said in the presence of Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Muktesh Chander.
Meanwhile, Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel, who was also present on the occasion, slammed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for its order banning 10-year-old diesel vehicles in the national capital.
"Who has constituted the NGT? People have. Please understand the pain of the general public. These things may be taking place in the world but is India ready for such decisions? Are the transport companies ready to absorb such decisions? Pollution is not a product of 10 minutes nor can it be contained in 10 minutes. A long-term plan is needed to tackle it," Goel said.
Rai said he would write to the Centre to provide land for building four 'transport nagars' on the outskirts of Delhi and that he had requested the government to construct a peripheral corridor and a number of running toll plazas.
"We would write to the Centre to provide land for transport nagars so that truckers could park their vehicles on the border areas. It's been 15 days that I have written to the Centre with a proposal to build a peripheral corridor so that trucks plying to different states do not have to enter Delhi," Rai said.
The running toll plazas, the Minister said, would help in declogging the checkpoints, plagued by the delays and jams.
Reacting to the comments, Chander later said there may be few "bad elements" in the police force but it cannot be generalised and made clear that it would abide by the NGT orders as long as it stays.
"Motor vehicles rules are openly flouted. Number plates are deliberately hidden so as to avoid actions after committing accidents. So there's room for improvement from both sides," he said.
He also advocated the installation of GPS-enabled cameras on vehicles to record instances of policemen harassing or demanding bribes.
