Keep crowd away from CM’s home, police tell CMO

In a move which is going to increase friction between Delhi Police and chief minister Sheila Dikshit, the former has asked CMO to organise programmes with large gathering at Delhi Secretariat instead of her residence in Central Delhi citing security concerns. In a letter to Delhi Home Department recently, the police said supporters of Congress and groups of people from the recently approved unauthorised colonies have started converging in large numbers at the 3 Motilal Nehru Place Residence of Dikshit.

‘They gather initially on the Moti Lal Nehru Marg, choking it completely, before gaining entry into the CM’s residence,’ Taj Hassan, joint commissioner of police, Central Range, said in the letter.

Noting that judges of Supreme Court and Delhi High Court also reside in the vicinity of Dikshit’s residence, Hassan said the ‘safety and security of these dignitaries is also compromised due to the presence of these large crowds.’ He suggested that visits of such large groups may be organised at the CM’s office in the Secretariat where ‘ample space’ is available for the public.

BJP used the opportunity to attack Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Dikshit. ‘This is being done to divert the attention of the people deliberately ahead of elections,’ said Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta.