Referring to recent violent incidents, Kejriwal accused Shah of prioritising election campaigns while Delhi grapples with a deteriorating law-and-order situation.
“Delhi’s law and order is Amit Shah’s responsibility, but he remains busy with elections. Delhi is under the control of gangsters, and while shooters are being arrested, the masterminds behind it are still at large,” Kejriwal said.
The Delhi Police is controlled by the Union Home Ministry.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kejriwal alleged that Shah’s oversight had plunged Delhi into “jungle raj.”
“Amit Shah ji has ruined Delhi. He has turned Delhi into a jungle raj. People are living a life of terror everywhere. BJP is no longer able to handle the law-and-order situation in Delhi. The people of Delhi will have to unite and raise their voices,” he wrote.
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Adding to the criticism, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj described a recent shooting in Shahdara as evidence of worsening public safety. He claimed that Sanjay Jain, a utensils trader, was attacked by miscreants early Saturday morning, with multiple gunshots fired. Jain succumbed to his injuries.
This comes just days after a triple murder rocked Delhi’s Neb Sarai area, where a man was accused of stabbing his parents and sister to death. According to police, the suspect had fabricated an alibi, claiming he was out on a morning walk.
Adding to the law-and-order concerns, a blast in Delhi’s Prashant Vihar area on November 28 triggered an emergency response involving the National Security Guard, Special Cell, and bomb squads.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi criticised the BJP-led central government, likening the capital’s crime scenario to Mumbai’s gang-dominated 1990s. She accused the Centre of failing to address public safety effectively.
With assembly elections expected in early 2025, AAP, which secured a resounding victory in the 2020 polls with 62 out of 70 seats, has intensified its critique of the BJP-led NDA government.
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Kejriwal also dismissed BJP claims blaming Rohingyas for some crimes, asking why the central government failed to act if such allegations were true.
“If they are Rohingyas, why hasn’t the home minister stopped them at the Myanmar and Bangladesh borders? And if they’ve entered Delhi, why hasn’t Delhi Police arrested them? Instead of politicising the issue, they should focus on ensuring the safety of Delhi’s people,” Kejriwal remarked.
The BJP, meanwhile, earlier countered AAP’s accusations by alleging that the ruling party shields criminal elements for political gain. Kejriwal, however, labelled this an attempt to divert attention from the public safety crisis.
As the battle for Delhi’s assembly heats up, AAP is campaigning for a third consecutive term, while BJP seeks to break its decades-long losing streak in the city. Both sides have escalated their rhetoric as safety concerns dominate headlines.
(With PTI inputs)
