CHENNAI: The first concern that engulfed many in the immediate aftermath of AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa’s demise was the highly-emotional situation exploding into violence and unrest. There were apprehensions of stampede, violence, attacks on opposition parties, rowdyism and arson.
But at the end of it, the Greater Chennai police received all-round appreciation even from the cynics for handling Jayalalithaa’s final journey.
Despite the short period, the city police brass, led by Commissioner S George, acted swiftly, grasping the magnitude of the situation. For, the crowd of mourners was swelling, besides VVIPs starting from the President to the Prime Minister and chief ministers of various states flocking to pay homage.
“We went into meticulous planning, proper execution and coordination among the top officials to ensure the late leader was laid to rest peacefully,” said a senior official.
Between the formal announcement and the burial, there was less than 24 hours and the situation was getting restive at various parts of the State. A contingent of 23,000 personnel from the city police and 5,000 from districts and various other wings of the police were mobilised to be deployed throughout the city.
Sufficient deployment was made at Rajaji Hall and the memorial at Marina beach, and also at sensitive spots. Intelligence inputs and alerts received from various agencies proved crucial.
Sources said Additional Commissioner P Thamaraikannan, in charge of intelligence, received information from Intelligence Bureau (IB) besides those in the State and the inputs were discussed to chart the operational details as the primary task was strict maintenance of law and order even while ensuring foolproof security to the dignitaries. Fears of unrest had some precedence – the funerals of almost all top leaders of the State had seen trouble.
Crowd management and providing security cover was entrusted to a team of four additional CoPs – K Shankar, C Sridhar, SN Seshasayee and Abayakumar Singh. Joint commissioners – TS Anbu, K Joshi Nirmalkumar, S Manoharan and Santhoshkumar formed another quartet.
The rest of the responsibilities was entrusted to two Additional DGPs, seven IGs and an equal number of SPs drafted from outside the city police.
“In fact, the police personnel, who had always benefited from the schemes of the late chief minister, carried out their assigned work in a commendable manner. It was a show of gratitude towards her,” the official stated.
The way the funeral was organised came in for praise from various quarters. Among them was Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, who chose to write letters to the chief secretary and DGP.
“I am quite impressed with the way the Tamil Nadu police in general and Chennai City police in particular has handled the difficult situation. I am told that the former chief minister had special love for the police department. True to her expectations, the Tamil Nadu Police have given fitting farewell by showcasing utmost professionalism during her last voyage,” said the governor in his letter to DGP TK Rajendran.