Delhi Police Commissioner brushes off injured protesters as “Collateral Damage”!
After the Police attacks and imposition of Section 144 on Central Delhi areas, now the Police Chief of Delhi comes and puts salt in the wounds of Delhi-ites who protested.
“There is always collateral damage in a crackdown,” Delhi Police commissionerNeeraj Kumar told a TV channel on Monday, referring to the scores of innocent people and mediapersons who got injured in Sunday’s police lathicharge on protesters.
The police chief refused to apologize for the Sunday’s action by his force but said he regretted that innocent persons had got hurt in the lathicharge. “If an innocent person has come to harm, I apologize. I feel sorry for that. But I do not apologize for what the police did there. I do not concede that we mishandled the situation,” Kumar told CNN IBN. (link)
It is bad enough that the Police Chief, and other leaders weren’t there to talk to the protesters, it is even worse that the Government and the Delhi Police is taking even more aggressive and nonsensical stances! Honestly, how is this attitude ANY different from that of the rapists?
There has been a lot of talk of “hooligans” who had hijacked the whole thing. Another thing that is mentioned is that the opposition – like Arvind Kejriwal’s party and BJP – were trying to “capitalize” on the protests by supporting them. Isn’t that convenient? What the heck do you expect the opposition parties to do, if not keep the Government’s wayward ducks in a row? Anybody would support the protesters. In fact even the PM should have come and sat with the protesters! Ditto for Sonia Gandhi!
When the Corruption protests happened, at that time one didn’t see these hooligans… a protest that was led by Arvind Kejriwal, his friend and ostensibly backed by BJP. How come theses parties are suddenly experts at the hooligan elements?
The more I read the more I am convinced that the real story may be something like this:
The protests have fueled a lot of anger, and the protests at Raisina Hill threatened to morph into anger against the Government while it was reeling at the loss in Gujarat. That this anger is going to be far bigger than what it started out with, was also sensed by the likes of Arvind Kejriwal and BJP. So they were planning to set the stage for a larger battle. This feedback was provided by the Intelligence Bureau to the Government. To obviate any repeat of the earlier issues, it clamped down on the protests in the most brutal style …. YET again!
This Government has completely lost it. It is insecure and shaky and that has made it brutal. Which is also true of those it hires at the helm in the most important places.
Related articles from External Sources
Delhi Protesters had to be engaged, heard, and spoken to… instead they were Lathi charged!
Delhi gangrape: violence at India Gate, police chief says ‘public sentiments …
Delhi gangrape: violence at Raisina Hills; PM appeals for calm, assures safety to women
Violence and Political Intrigue at India Gate as Gangrape Protest turns wild
Kejriwal evicted while protesting outside Delhi CM’s house
BJP condemns police action on protesters
