New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal today refused to accept security cover for himself by Uttar Pradesh police with party leaders saying it was against their ideology.
Upon the direction of Home Ministry, some officials of the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) of Ghaziabad police today contacted Kejriwal and asked him to opt for the security cover.
"But he refused saying that when the safety of crores of citizens was at stake, how can a leader think of taking it (security cover). "Also, it is against our party's ideology," party spokesperson and AAP leader Manish Sisodia said.
According to Sisodia, Kejriwal received a call from Ghaziabad police who said they had got a letter from Home Ministry citing a threat to his life and asking police to provide security for him at his residence and party office.
AAP has pledged that, if elected, none of its MLAs, even if one of them were to become Chief Minister, would take red beacon cars, bungalows or security cover.
Meanwhile, the party today issued a list of five probable candidates for the Moti Nagar Assembly constituency.
The list features the names of Bimla Singh, Raj Kumar, Rajeev Goel, Kuldeep Singh Channa and former trade union leader, Ashok Kumar. When contacted, Home Ministry officials, however, said there was no move to provide security to Kejriwal.
The officials said that although a periodic review of threat levels to public persons is carried out by the ministry, there was no such move as of now.