Youth shot dead in Delhi: AAP chief asks people to ‘unite against crime’

A 19-year-old resident of north-west Delhi’s Mangolpuri was shot dead over a petty dispute on Tuesday morning, said the police.

“Pankaj, accompanied by his friend, got into a verbal spat with three men who fired at them. One of the bullets hit Pankaj. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival,” said DCP (Outer) Sachin Sharma.

“The accused have been identified and multiple teams have been formed to nab them,” he added.

Soon after the police statement, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal issued a post on X, urging people to “unite against the rising crime rate” in the city.

“Last night, a man was shot dead in Mangolpuri. The day before yesterday, three murders took place in Delhi. All Delhiites must unite and raise their voice against crime. The most important thing is to ensure your safety and the safety of your family,” read the post in Hindi.

In response, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused the former Chief Minister of diverting attention from his government’s “inefficiency, mismanagement, and corruption” by highlighting “recent crime incidents”. He added that the AAP chief did not speak when many people died over the past few months due to drowning and electrocution.

Mr. Kejriwal has been meeting families of victims of violence in the city and taking on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to whom Delhi Police reports, for leaving people “at the mercy of gangsters”.

On Tuesday, the former CM met the family of a youth who was stabbed to death outside his house in north-west Delhi’s Pitampura on Deepavali. He said the city residents are suffering from “jungle raj”.

AAP plans to corner the BJP on the issue of “deteriorating” law and order in the city ahead of the Assembly election due in February next year.

Published - December 04, 2024 12:49 am IST