A large number of police personnel have come out of the headquarters of Delhi Police Station in New Delhi demanding action against lawyers involved in an attack on police on Saturday at the Tis Hazari District Court in the national capital.
Lawyers continued violent protests on Monday in New Delhi and several other places in the country, attacking policemen, litigants and ordinary people.
Holding placards saying “We want Justice”, “How is the Josh….? Low Sir…!” police personnel in uniform and civil attire wore black arm-bands to condemn the attacks on their colleagues.
Several officers of the elite Indian Police Service (IPS) took to Twitter to express their anguish.
Deependra Pathak, Director General of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in a tweet said, “Lumpen elements in the garb of Black Coat are on a total rampage endangering social orderliness in Delhi”.
Lumpen elements in the garb of Black Coat are on total rampage endangering social orderliness in Delhi. Fear of law need to be instilled among these mischief mongers.@DelhiPolice need to interpose pending Police-Lawyer clash cases.
— Dependra Pathak (@Dependra_Pathak) November 4, 2019
D. Roopa, an IPS officer from southern Karnataka described the incident as “mockery of the system” and sought “strictest action” against the hooligans.
Mockery of the system. I only wish people at helm of affairs take strictest action. Else morale of the force suffers n will embolden hooligans to take law into their hands. https://t.co/Dz5Jnpuclw
— D Roopa IPS (@D_Roopa_IPS) November 4, 2019
Another senior IPS officer, Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police tweeted “Hooligans must be punished even if they are masquerading as lawyers”. He said the incident has shaken the collective consciousness of the whole of society.
No one is above the law...Hoolingans must be punished even if they are masquerading as lawyers. Tis Hazari incident has shaken the collective consciousness of whole society. Time has come lawyers read the law! @IPS_Association @CPDelhi @abhikr31873 @kpsingh20#tishazariclash
— Dr. Sagar Preet Hooda (@SagarHoodaIPS) November 4, 2019
Another senior IPS officer, Madhur Verma, Deputy Inspector General of Police in northeastern Arunachal Pradesh said, “I am sorry…we are police…we don’t exist…we don’t have families…we don’t have human rights.”
I am sorry.. we are police ... we don’t exist.. we don’t have families...we don’t have human rights !!! https://t.co/ZqR7dEUFgy
— Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) November 4, 2019
The association of IPS officers across the country condemned “all attempts to break the law, by anyone,” and wanted to take a “balanced view” of the incident involving police and lawyers.
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
There has been no reaction from the government to the incident. India’s Federal Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said “Policemen are engaged in the security of the country without worrying about their lives.” Delhi Police come under the administrative control of the Federal Home Ministry.
पुलिसकर्मी अपने प्राणों की चिंता करे बिना देश की सुरक्षा में लगे रहते हैं।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 31, 2019
सभी विभागों में अगर कोई एक विभाग घड़ी देखे बिना काम करता है, तो वो पुलिस विभाग है।
हम लोग जब अपने परिवार के साथ त्योहार मनाते हैं, तब हमारे पुलिसकर्मी अपने परिवार को भूलकर सुरक्षा में लगे रहते हैं। pic.twitter.com/NoYdbWgIcV
The High Court of Delhi had ordered the transfer of two senior police officers for “mishandling” Saturday’s situation and appointed a retired judge to conduct a judicial inquiry into the incident. The court had also ordered payment of compensation to three injured lawyers.
