AAP, Delhi police showdown continues midst of emotionally charged statements

The confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi police department saw a brief moment of relief on Friday, with statements coming from the AAP camp being seen as good as holding out an olive branch. The same, however, cannot be said about the police department.

The department on Friday refused to share details of the investigation with the district magistrate (dm), who had also tried to summon the Delhi police and set the deadline at 11am on Friday. 

Delhi police cited legal grounds behind their latest snubbing. The last time confrontation between the district magistrate's office and the Delhi police was seen during the Shiela Dikshit government when the SDM had complained that Delhi police had allegedly prevented the video-recording of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim.

Early on Friday morning, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, in an interview, pleaded to put an end to the blame game which surfaced immediately after Gajendra Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree during an AAP rally on Wednesday. 

"Let's not blame each other and say all policemen are bad. The police are investigating, the district magistrate (DM) is investigating. Hang whoever is guilty," said Arvind Kejriwal. 

The initiation of parallel investigations by DM and Crime Branch had became a major source OF controversy when Delhi police had said that it was beyond the DM's jurisdiction to investigate a case in which questions were being raised on the police's role.

Delhi police commissioner BS Bassi said that the police department cannot cooperate with the 'AAP magisterial probe' into the suicide unless a judicial inquiry is initiated. The Delhi police, which falls under the home ministry, has the same powers possessed by the district magistrate. "According to the rule of law, whatever is required we will do. But we cannot get into anything illegal," Bassi said. 

Even though senior officials reiterated their stand on cooperating with the AAP government in probing the farmer suicide, Delhi police refused to comment on whether senior AAP leaders will be questioned in the farmer suicide.

Asked if the department will question any AAP leaders or deputy CM Manish Sisodia. who according to the deceased's brother had called Gajendra to the national capital, the police commissioner said, "The case is under investigation. A team of crime branch officials had travelled to the deceased's native place, and will submit its investigation report soon. If the investigation officer thinks that anyone needs to be questioned, we will question the concerned person," said Bassi. The family of the deceased had earlier claimed that the note found on Gajendra's body was not in his handwriting. Bassi. in response, told the media that the note has been sent to the forensic department and the police is awaiting the results.

He added that the department will also conduct a probe into any laxity shown by the police during the incident. The probe will be conducted by joint commissioner of police. Bassi also maintained that the department cannot be dragged into politics even though it is part of the government. 

"We will do everything while following the law. Police is an instrumentality of law. Police has to assure that its actions are legal within the domain of law," Bassi said. "Since the police is an instrumentality of law, we cannot have a conflict with any other body preserving law," he said.

The mood in the AAP camp has mellowed down as the day saw many emotionally charged moments. While Arvind Kejriwal apologised for not stopping the event and making a speech after the incident, AAP leader Ashutosh broke into tears while talking to Gajendra Singh's daughter Megha on a TV panel discussion and "requested" BJP and Congress not to play politics over the farmer's death.