Tamil Nadu   

Police intervention inevitable: Mukherjee

Special Correspondent

To prevent disruption of normal life, collapse of peace

CHENNAI: Director General of Police D. Mukherjee on Friday made it clear that police intervention became inevitable to prevent disruption of normal life, collapse of peace and deterioration of law and order, when public organisations and political parties abruptly launched agitations to highlight their demands or register their protest on certain issues, without obtaining police permission.

In a statement here, he said normal life would not be affected if parties and organisations resorted to agitations after giving prior notice and receiving police permission. When they sought police permission after making public announcement on the form, date, time and venue of the proposed agitation, the police responded to their plea on the basis of the nature of the stir.

If a party decided to launch an agitation despite denial of police permission on the ground that it would affect maintenance of law and order, besides posing problems to the public, the police resorted to preventive arrests of the party activists and their release later. Even in such instances, the party activists used to assemble at a particular venue to express their protest and peacefully court arrest, Mr. Mukherjee pointed out. Normal life is hit and all sections are badly affected if a party or organisation abruptly launches agitation. People face problems and maintenance of law and order takes a beating when persons who take part in such agitations go out of control and resort to road-roko, damage public property and pose a threat to lives and properties by setting fire to copies of newspapers and periodicals, Mr. Mukherjee said.

Referring to the State-wide agitation launched by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Thursday, Mr. Mukherjee said the party activists burnt copies of a newspaper at Tiruchitrambalam in Villupuram district. The local Inspector of Police, who attempted to put out the fire, suffered burns and had been admitted to hospital. In several places, police personnel were attacked and injured. Clashes between the agitators and the police erupted when the latter attempted to tackle such abrupt and disorderly agitations, he said. This had also posed several problems in tackling such protests, he added.

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