No 'Car-Free Day' on Oct 22; hold it another day: Delhi CP

New Delhi, Oct 5: Delhi Police on Monday rejected the Arvind Kejriwal government's proposal to observe 'Car-Free Day' on October 22 saying since the event coincides with 'Dussehra', police have other priorities.

"We have rejected the proposal for 'Car-Free Day' on October 22 as 'Dussehra' will also be celebrated on that day and police have other priorities," Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh here.

Bassi said Delhi Police is in favour of observing 'Car- Free Day' on any other day but October 22.

"On the 'Car-Free Day', officials of the Delhi government as well as Delhi Police should not use car," he said. Bassi has already written a letter to Delhi Chief Secretary K K Sharma denying permission to hold the 'Car-Free Day' on October 22 saying the government did not hold "prior consultation" with the force before taking any decision in this regard.

The choice of the event date -- October 22 -- when people will celebrate Dussehra - for such an event ('Car-Free Day') seems to be "hasty and quite impractical", he has said.

On October 1, the Delhi government had said that 'Car Free Day', an initiative to encourage people to use public transport in the national capital will be observed on October 22 from 7 AM to 12 noon on the stretch falling between the Red Fort and India Gate.

Having been at loggerheads in the past over several issues, the move may trigger a fresh round of confrontation between the Kejriwal-led AAP government and the city police.

PTI