“PM Modi Should Go On Television And Reach Out to Muslims, But I Am Not Sure He Will”

Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal was today criticised by his predecessor, Najeeb Jung, for failing to show command and leadership during the recent Delhi riots. Najeeb Jung said: “Anil Baijal should have been more proactive and behaved like a Commander”. Mr Jung said that had he been Lieutenant Governor he would have ensured that then-Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and all the Deputy Commissioners under him fulfilled their duty and responsibility by acting forcefully to stop the riots. Citing the example of the troubles in Delhi’s Trilokpuri area in 2015, when he was the Lieutenant Governor, Najeeb Jung said that at the time he had been in constant touch with then police commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi and all the top deputy commissioners to ensure that the trouble was quickly contained. He would have shown the same proactive control had he been Lieutenant Governor last week. Speaking specifically about the Deputy Commissioner of Police North East Delhi, Ved Prakash Surya, who stood watching as Kapil Mishra delivered an inflammatory speech and did not take any action, Najeeb Jung said that had he been Governor he would have removed him from office immediately.