The Hindu : Police accused of harassing people at function

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Police accused of harassing people at function

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 18. "Who is the Chief Minister? What powers does she have? She is not in charge of the security here. Put up a barricade and stop the entry of these people,'' shouted the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Rakesh Kumar Bansal, as he pushed aside mediamen at a function organised to lay the foundation stone of Guru Tegh Bahadur Memorial at the Singhu border in North-West Delhi on Wednesday.

Chaos and harassment by the police prevailed as a large number of school children and aged people, holding valid entry cards, were turned away by the over-enthusiastic Delhi police personnel from the venue of the function.

Political leaders including MLAs jostled to gain entry into the venue where the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, was to arrive to unveil the foundation stone of the ambitious multicrore project.

As the media team led by the officials of the Delhi Government tried to gain entry into the venue, the police refused to allow them stating that entry had been banned.

After much persuasion, the media personnel were able to clear the first stage and managed to reach the point where metal detectors were installed.

Again they were stopped here by an inspector, Rajinder, who backed by Dr. Bansal said no entry would be allowed. Despite being told that they had valid invitation cards to cover the programme issued after proper security clearance, these two personnel refused to budge.

One of the Delhi Government officials soon got in touch with the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, on the phone and she asked the officer to allow the mediapersons inside the venue.

As the Chief Minister was holding the phone, an agitated Dr. Bansal said: "Who is the Chief Minister? She has no powers on the Delhi police. She is not in charge of security here.''

However, it was after the intervention of a senior SPG official that the mediapersons were allowed inside the venue and much to their astonishment, they found that the entire space reserved for the "Press'' was vacant contradicting the claims of the police personnel that it was packed inside. The AICC leader in charge of Delhi affairs, Ahmed Patel, termed the episode as a deliberate attempt by the Delhi police to create problems during the meetings and functions of the Congress president.

"This is not the first time that such harassment has taken place. It has been happening only during the functions of the Congress president and I have been myself been subjected to such a situation in the past,'' he remarked.

A large number of Congress MLAs and senior leaders who were also subjected to similar maltreatment complained against the indifferent behaviour of the Delhi police who tend to go overboard in the name of security.

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