The National Security Advisor (NSA) and India’s master spy, Ajit Doval had some very important points to make while addressing young police officers from across the country. NSA Doval said that the police should be seen by the common man as “credible and fair” and if it fails to enforce the law, democracy fails.
Doval made these remarks while inaugurating the ‘Third young Superintendents of Police Conference’ organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).
The master spy added, “Law-making is the most sacrosanct job in a democracy. It is not done by an imperial ruler or from the pulpit of a religious leader but by the representatives of the people and you are the enforcers of that law.”
Speaking from the perspective of an ordinary citizen, Doval said that if the common people feel that they got a police which is efficient, alert, honest, objective, professionally competent and friendly, there is a greater sense of security within the society.
What Doval has said assumes a lot of significance in the context of the recent Delhi riots. Delhi Police seemed listless even as rioters were rampaging across the violence-hit areas in Northeast Delhi. There was a clear failure on the part of Delhi Police and the intelligence agencies to anticipate and pre-empt the mischievous elements who fomented violence in the National Capital.
There was clear lack of action on the part of Delhi Police which itself seemed to be at the mercy of pro-CAA supporters. A video of pro CAA supporters rescuing an injured Delhi Police personnel had also gone viral.
This has raised questions as to what made the police look for help when it should have actually been cracking down on rioters.
#DELHIRIOTS PRO CAA SUPPORTERS rescuing an injured Constable MAUJPUR pic.twitter.com/N5UZGM03lv
— Chayan Chatterjee (@Satyanewshi) February 25, 2020
Since December, when anti-CAA agitation got violent for the first time in Delhi, the police seemed to be on the backfoot. It was nothing like the Uttar Pradesh Police which had cracked down on the rioters from the word go restoring law and order straightaway, enforcing people’s faith in the police force and the law enforcement machinery.
Delhi Police didn’t distinguish between exercise of democratic rights and sheer anarchy. Shaheen Bagh like roadblocks were allowed to foster in Delhi which made a complete mockery of the law enforcement machinery. The protest culture in Delhi has clearly outlived its purpose having become undemocratic by threatening peace, making illegitimate demands, inciting religious bigotry, promoting hate, religious supremacism and ultimately leading to riots.
During the riots, NSA Ajit Doval had to intervene to restore law and order. And it was only after Doval came into picture that peace prevailed in the riots hit areas of the National Capital.
NSA Doval had expressed displeasure at Delhi Police Commissioner, Amulya Patnaik who was notably missing from all important meetings that were chaired by the NSA.
Amulya Patnaik’s tenure as Delhi Police Commissioner was riddled with crises from the lawyers-cops face off to Jamia Nagar violence to riots in Northeast Delhi last month. But the police leadership failed to act promptly every single time.
When NSA Ajit Doval took stock of the situation in the violence-hit areas, Special Commissioner of Delhi Police, S.N. Shrivastava- a specialist in dealing with unruly rioters, already seemed to have taken charge of affairs.
In NSA Ajit Doval’s message to the young police officers, he is clearly reflecting upon the Delhi Police. The master spy fears if the entire Delhi Police suffers from the same syndrome as Amulya Patanik.
