BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government and its police administration were fully aware that over 40,000 drivers would converge in Bhubaneswar on Monday. Yet, they allowed the protestors to run amok in the State Capital which ended in vandalism, chaos and immense inconvenience for the public.
A day after the massive protest by Drivers Mahasangha led to lawlessness triggering widespread outrage, it has come to fore that the Intelligence Wing had adequately cautioned the authorities concerned. Not only did the Special Branch put out number of protestors coming in from districts it had information about, but the April 16 intel report was also crystal clear in anticipating the law and order situation.
“More than 40,000 agitators are expected to participate in the agitation. Due to huge gathering, law and order situation cannot be ruled out. As the drivers are unruly, quite aggressive and unpredictable, they may indulge in illegal activities. Law and order situation is highly anticipated,” the report suggested.
It even anticipated that the protestors would split into groups and try to march towards CM’s residence, Assembly and Secretariat and called for adequate precautionary and preventive measures. Yet, police remained a mute spectator, allowing them to cause disruption of public life, harassment of the commuters and vandalism. The government also appears to have not taken any serious view of the incident, leaving Commissionerate Police to act. No one has been held accountable for the lapses.
Such high-profile lapse is not new, nor is the silence of the government. Last year on November 24, BJP Yuva Morcha activists hurled eggs at the convoy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Puri protesting government’s ‘inaction’ against Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra’s alleged involvement in Kalahandi lady teacher’s kidnap and murder case.
Though State Police Intelligence had clearly alerted against such, the government was happy blaming BJP. Police arrested Puri town president of BJP Yuva Morcha and two other party workers the next day but none from the police dispensation was held accountable for the CM’s security breach.