Kejriwal ends dharna, two cops sent on leave

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's unprecedented dharna in the heart of the capital came to an abrupt end tonight after two police officers were sent on leave under a neat compromise with the Centre over his demand for suspension of five officials for alleged dereliction of duty.

The over 30-hour protest outside Rail Bhavan in the high-security Raisina Hill area that virtually morphed into a demand for control over Delhi police and threatened to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations on Sunday ended following an assurance from the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.

Kejriwal, who had slept last night on the road and held cabinet meetings with his colleagues in his car, announced that he was calling off the protest following the "victory" achieved by the people of Delhi.

Earlier in the day, he ruled out any negotiations and threatened to flood the Rajpath with his supporters for disrupting the R-Day celebrations.

Under the compromise, the SHO of Malviya Nagar, who refused to raid an alleged drug and prostitution ring on the orders of Law Minister Somnath Bharti, and PCR van in-charge of Paharganj, where a Danish women was gangraped last week, were sent on leave, paving the way for an end to the confrontation with the Centre.

Appealing to Kejriwal to withdraw his agitation, the Lt Governor said the judicial inquiry into the alleged police inaction would be expedited.

The compromise meets only half-way Kejriwal's demand that five officials be suspended in connection with these two incidents apart from burning of a girl allegedly by her in-laws.

Kejriwal read out from the letter of Jung who appealed to him to call off the agitation "in view of the sacrosanct occasion of the Republic Day and the perceived security situation".

The Chief Minister claimed that the police have arrested the culprits in the case of a rape of woman, which was also one of his demands that triggered the agitation.