AAP MLAs allege extortion gangs targeting traders, demand revival of police station level committees

The ruling AAP MLAs slammed the Delhi Police and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena in the assembly session on Friday, alleging growing instances of extortion money demanded from the city traders by the gangsters.

The AAP legislators demanded revival of police station level committees to curb such crimes, citing various instances from their constituencies.

The traders in the city are scared and do not have any faith in the Delhi Police, said AAP MLA from Beejwasan BS Joon.

"They are directly dealing with gangsters and paying them extortion money to ensure their protection," he claimed and said that the lieutenant governor should pay attention to end the fear among the traders.

His colleague Rajesh Rishi also said the situation has worsened and people have lost faith in the police. He urged the Speaker that the House should take some steps for relief to the traders.

Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar said police station level monitoring committee that has been done away should be revived for control over criminal activities. He said earlier these committees chaired by the local MLAs were effective in checking crime.

AAP MLA Somnath Bharti said although the district level police committees were functioning but the police station level committees were defunct.

He said the LG should be questioned why these committees were not working while the city was experiencing a spate of crime incidents.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj raised questions over the image of the police and claimed that women victims of crime were even afraid to go to the police stations to file their complaints.

The law and order is in a mess. The LG should be asked why the police station level committees were not being formed, he said.

Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said that there should be zero tolerance towards crime and added that the police was expected to completely check the gangs involved with extortion of money from the city traders and businessmen.