Opposition and youth leaders on Monday took a dig at Delhi Police after its personnel staged a protest at the force's headquarters over the transfer of two officers following a confrontation with lawyers in Shahdara.
Drawing parallels between the police action against demonstrators during recent agitations in the national capital and the stir by the force's own personnel, they asked if the protesters will now face lathis and be asked to sign peace bonds.
Holding placards and posters, around 100 police personnel, including women officers, gathered outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Monday morning to protest against the transfer of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashistha and Shahdara Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Arun Kumar and demanded that they be reinstated to their previous postings.
CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya highlighted the contrast between the police response to public protests and the demonstration by its own personnel.
"What is happening in Amit Shah's Delhi Police? Watch the police protest against lawyers, calling them goons in black coats. The forces that were used to beat up protesters are now up in arms led by an ACP even as another ACP-turned-SEM forces protesters to sign peace bonds!" he said in a post on X.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also took a dig at Delhi Police.
"Hello @DelhiPolice am in Bengal else would have joined Police vs Police today. What fun! Which Delhi Police group is getting the lathis & the ride to Delhi Cant detention camp in those rickety buses today? Do tell us, we'll send Swiggy food for them," she posted.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor Saurav Das asked whether the protesting personnel would also be made to furnish peace bonds.
"Will these police personnel be forced to sign peace bond for breach of peace?" he asked.
CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh referred to the preventive action taken against protesters.
"Let's see if Delhi Police will detain Delhi Police officials for protesting outside a police station and then ask for sureties while releasing them," she said.
All India Students' Association national president Neha Bora questioned whether the police would register a case against its own personnel for assembling in an area where prohibitory orders were in force.
"The Delhi Police HQ in New Delhi falls in that area where Section 163 of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) is in effect. Will the Delhi Police register an FIR against the Delhi Police who are angry with the Delhi Police? The signs of your crumbling system are everywhere..." she posted.
The police protest followed the transfer of Vashistha, who was posted as ACP of the Gandhi Nagar subdivision, and Inspector Arun Kumar, the then SHO of Shahdara police station, on October 28.
The transfers came after a confrontation between police personnel and lawyers at Shahdara police station on October 23, during which advocate Lalit Bansal allegedly sustained a serious head injury.
Alleging police inaction and misbehaviour by officers, the lawyers launched an indefinite strike across Delhi's district courts, demanding action against those responsible.
The lawyers called off their strike after the two officers were transferred.
(With inputs from PTI)