In a move akin to Gandhigiri, departing from precedence Delhi Social Welfare Minister Kiran Walia on Monday called on Police Commissioner BK Gupta at the Police Headquarters. The Delhi Minister was seeking a meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner for the past one month to discuss several issues related to the safety of women and children.

After several reminders when the Police Commissioner failed to oblige, she finally went to his office on Wednesday to take up the matter. However, some of her ministerial colleagues have frowned on her initiative. If the Police Commissioner was not giving her appointment, she should have taken up the matter with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit or Union Home Secretary RK Singh or Chief Secretary PK Tripathi. “How can the Police Commissioner ignore a Minister in the Delhi Government? She should not have gone to meet any person or official who is holding a position lower than her,” said a Minister, adding such meetings ‘violate’ the protocol.

According to a press statement, Walia urged the Police Commissioner to keep a vigil at various placement agencies which are responsible for bringing innocent women and girls from the neighbouring States in the name of providing them employment/placement and hand them over to the criminals/persons which are involved in flash trade. “This is a heinous crime and needs to be checked immediately,” it said. Walia urged the Police Commissioner to give full cooperation to women’s helps groups and Awaz Uthao Samooh for raising their voice against violence and harassment against women.

She suggested the Police Commissioner to register such placement agencies and check their records as to how many girls and women they have placed for work and how many have been given in the hands of people involved in ‘illegal and immoral trade’.