New Delhi: Delhi Police on Friday refused to suspend four of its officers who allegedly refused to act against a sex and drug gang, but the Delhi government reiterated the demand.
Education minister Manish Sisodia said the government wanted the four officials suspended until an inquiry ordered Friday by Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung into the policemen's conduct got over.
"Their suspension is necessary, otherwise there will be a problem in the inquiry," Sisodia told the media.
"Our government won't keep quiet. This is not Sheila Dikshit's government. The government has changed. We will take action whether or not Delhi Police is under us," he said.
Sisodia, the de facto number two in the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, said a government delegation led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called on the Lt Governor and pressed for the suspension.
According to the minister, while Jung said he won't suspend anyone, Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said suspending the men "now will be difficult".
Sisodia said an AAP delegation will now take the demand to union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
Sisodia denied charges of vigilantism hurled against two Delhi ministers - Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla.
Bharti accused Delhi Police of not acting against a sex and drug racket despite repeated complaints while Birla alleged that police were refusing to arrest a family which had set their daughter-in-law on fire.
On Thursday, Kejriwal asked Delhi Police to suspend the officers, including the station house officers (SHO) of Malviya Nagar in south Delhi and Sagarpur in west Delhi.
