NEW DELHI: Thousands of Delhi Police personnel, some on duty and in uniform and others who had finished work, took to the streets on Tuesday and held an unprecedented 11-hour protest at the gates of the police headquarters, demanding action against lawyers who allegedly attacked their colleagues at the Tis Hazari Court last week.
The sloganeering policemen, all belonging to junior ranks, ignored at least three appeals made by senior officers, including Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, to call off their protest. Instead, they jeered, booed and defied their officers, signalling a breakdown of leadership and discipline.
The protesters shouted slogans such as “Hamara CP kaisa ho, Kiran Bedi jaisa ho (Our Police Commissioner should be like Kiran Bedi)”, “We want justice” and “We want a Union”.
In 1988, when incumbent Puduchery Lt-Governor Bedi was the Deputy Commissioner of Police in north Delhi, she stood by her men and came down heavily against lawyers when they objected to one of their colleagues being brought to the court handcuffed.
“The suspended police officials should be reinstated and the CP should revoke biased orders given by the court,” demanded Sub Inspector Shilpi Gupta. Following the Saturday incident, the HC had on Sunday ordered the transfer of Special Commissioner Sanjay Singh, who allegedly ordered lathi charge on lawyers, and Additional DCP Harinder Singh, who allegedly ordered firing.
Head Constable Neeraj said, “In every matter, police are made scapegoats. We are not allowed to exercise our power. After what happened, we are scared to wear our uniform.”
Service rules bar policemen from holding protests. The demonstration had the Centre on its toes and caught the attention of the courts. The Delhi HC issued notice to the Bar Councils of India and Delhi on a plea filed by Home Ministry seeking clarification on the court’s order of no coercive action against the advocates in the FIRs registered against them.
The stir was later called off after the protesters were assured that their demands would be considered.
Soon after the protest started, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) called for a report. Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Home Secretary called Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and asked him to “fix the problem at the earliest”. Within hours, a report was submitted giving details of the incident, following which MHA filed its clarification plea in the HC.
Sources in the MHA said the Centre is “unhappy” at the manner in which the matter got escalated. The view in the government is that the Delhi Police leadership failed to control the situation, leading to adverse public perception.
The MHA tasked LG Anil Baijal with defusing the situation who assured action and announced compensation for the injured policemen. The protesting policemen agreed to call off the stir late in the evening after they were assured that their demands would be looked into. Earlier, IAS officers’ association condemned the “cowardly action” against the police personnel”.