Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has deleted his tweet extending support to Delhi Police personnel currently protesting against violence against them by the city’s lawyers.
Rijiju, who is the Minister of State for Youth and Sports Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, had tweeted, “Being a cop is a thankless job. But they don’t do it for thanks. Police officers put their lives on the line every day. They are damned if they do, and damned even if they don’t. What gets lost in all the anti-police rhetoric is the family left at home while a policeman serves.”
However, moments later, he deleted his tweet.
Meanwhile, thousands of policemen have ignored the call to end their agitation by their boss Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. They’ve been staging protests outside the headquarters of the Delhi Police demanding justice.
The protesting cops may even proceed towards the Home Ministry controlled by Amit Shah. If indeed they march towards the Home Ministry, this will be unprecedented since usually, it’s the job of the cops to stop the protesters from moving towards the protected government buildings in the national capital.
The genesis of the controversy lies in the scuffle at Delhi’s Tis Hazari court on Saturday. The fight led to full-blown violence with vehicles set on fire. At least 28 cops and lawyers were injured in the violence.
On Monday, a cop riding a motorcycle inside the premises of Saket Court was physically attacked by lawyers.