Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik on Tuesday appealed to protesting cops to resume duties after his colleagues ditched their uniform to stage protests against the recent violence against them by the city’s lawyers. Hundreds of policemen gathered near the police headquarters in Delhi and chanted slogans such as Police Commissioner Kaisa Ho, Kiran Bedi Jaisa Ho (How should be the Police Commissioner, like Kiran Bedi).” One placard read, “How’s the josh? Low sir?”
Elsewhere, family members of Delhi Police personnel also staged protests outside the India Gate. Addressing the agitating police personnel, Rajesh Khurana, Joint Commissioner of Police, said, “We spend double the time in the field, at police stations, doing our duty than what we spend with our families. There is no festival that we celebrate with our families, at our home.”
Rajesh Khurana, Joint Commissioner of Police: We spend double the time in the field, at police stations, doing our duty than what we spend with our families. There is no festival that we celebrate with our families, at our home. https://t.co/tsr6m1ZBu5 pic.twitter.com/SJPhIs4hSH
— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2019
The latest protest by Delhi Police personnel was against Saturday’s violence when their colleagues were allegedly attacked by lawyers at Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court. The Delhi High Court had taken note of the violence and ordered the suspension of ‘guilty’ police personnel. The High Court’s intervention was largely seen as an act to exonerate the guilty lawyers, some of whom were seen to be lynching a cop on CCTV camera.
Bar associations had condemned the incident and called for a one-day strike across all district courts in Delhi on Monday. However, they had called off their one-day strike after the High Court’s intervention.
Many IPS officers had called for decisive leadership at a time when the judiciary was seen to be siding with the lawyers. Meanwhile, IPS Association tweeted extending their support to the police. It wrote, “Incident involving police & lawyers unfortunate. All should take a balanced view of it based on facts in public domain. Countrywide, police stands in solidarity with those police personnel subjected to physical assault & humiliation. Condemn all attempts to break law, by anyone!”
Incident involving police & lawyers unfortunate. All should take a balanced view of it based on facts in public domain. Countrywide, police stands in solidarity with those police personnel subjected to physical assault & humiliation. Condemn all attempts to break law, by anyone!
— IPS Association (@IPS_Association) November 4, 2019
Delhi Police officials stopping work assumes significance since the force directly reports to Home Ministry headed by Amit Shah.
Former DGP of Jammu and Kashmir too tweeted in support of police in Delhi. Shesh Paul Vaid wrote, “Saddened to see such treatment meted out to Police officers who spend their entire lives protecting civil society and maintaining law & order.”
Saddened to see such treatment meted out to Police officers who spend their entire lives protecting civil society and maintaining law & order @DelhiPolice https://t.co/RPyQplVcmO
— Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) November 5, 2019
What has inflamed the situation further is the emergence of a video showing a group of lawyers physically assault a policeman inside the premises of Saket court in Delhi.
After Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, it’s Saket court today. No fear of the law and tearing apart the order. No argument can justify this behaviour. What’s more surprising is the way @DelhiPolice is handling with its hands tied due to lack of a strong leadership at the top. pic.twitter.com/SdnQ4uG9HO
— Sidharth Bhardwaj (@SidharthB25) November 4, 2019
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said that Delhi Police going on strike was a new low in its history of 72 years. He tweeted, “A new low in 72 years when Delhi Police is protesting and has ‘gheraoed’ the Police Headquarter. Home Min, Sh. Amit Shah is ‘mum’. Why is HM ‘missing in action’ as law & order crumbles in the Capital.”