3 weeks ago
Former UP DGP: 'AK-47 show was unacceptable,' defends police handling
In Delhi, India, a big protest took place, and things got chaotic.
Some people said the police were too rough with the protesters.
A very experienced former police chief, Vikram Singh, gave a long interview about what happened.
He said the police made mistakes but also followed their rules.
He said police should never carry scary assault rifles like AK-47s at protests, and that an officer who did was rightly suspended.
He said it was not true that the home minister told the police to be violent, and that such decisions are made by the senior official at the scene.
He also said the police did not have enough information beforehand, which is why protesters got so close to Parliament.
He wants the police to watch social media more closely, hold daily press briefings, and study every big protest afterward to learn from mistakes.
He also said it was concerning that many criminals and foreign nationals were reportedly at the protest site.
Former UP DGP Vikram Singh called the AK-47 'show' during the CJP protests unacceptable and backed the suspension of constable Abhishek.
Singh dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegation that Home Minister Amit Shah ordered force against protesters as 'baseless and wild.'
He defended Delhi Police's directive to X to remove abusive and defamatory posts targeting the Prime Minister and the police.
He cited a lack of actionable intelligence and a miscalculation of numbers as reasons protesters reached close to Parliament.
He urged investigation into the presence of foreign nationals and 989 hardened criminals at Jantar Mantar and the CJP's reported spending of about Rs 8 lakh a day.
- Who
- Vikram Singh, former Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh, responding to allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against Home Minister Amit Shah.
- What
- An interview defending the police response to the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protests while condemning the AK-47 deployment and calling for protest-policing reforms.
- Where
- Delhi, where protesters reached close to Parliament and gathered at a dharna site at Jantar Mantar.
- When
- Not specified in the articles; the interview came as a political storm over the protests continued to reverberate in Parliament.
- Why
- To answer allegations of excessive force against demonstrators, explain the legal rules of engagement, and recommend changes in intelligence, crowd control and transparency.
Opposition and protest supporters
Police and government supporters
Use of force against protesters
Opposition and protest supporters
The Opposition accused the government of using excessive force against demonstrators, and Rahul Gandhi alleged Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the use of force.
Police and government supporters
Vikram Singh called the allegations 'baseless and wild,' saying rules of engagement place responsibility on the senior-most magistrate at the spot and that authorization was recorded in official entries.
Removal of social media posts
Opposition and protest supporters
Directing X to remove content and acting against posters raises free-speech concerns, since freedom of expression is a constitutional right.
Police and government supporters
Posts targeting the Prime Minister and police were abusive and bordered on threats, so their removal and further investigation were justified under reasonable restrictions on speech.
Peaceful protest or law-and-order crisis
Opposition and protest supporters
The Opposition accused the government of using excessive force against demonstrators, a charge that presumes the gathering warranted a lighter police response.
Police and government supporters
Police cited arson, attacks on police, and the reported presence of 989 hardened criminals and foreign nationals at Jantar Mantar as reasons the protest ceased to be peaceful and had to be dispersed.
Key facts
- Interviewee
- Vikram Singh, former Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh
- Allegation
- Rahul Gandhi alleged Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the use of force against protesters
- Singh's response
- Called the allegations 'baseless and wild'; responsibility rests with the senior-most magistrate at the spot, per BNSS Sections 148-150 and 43
- AK-47 incident
- Constable Abhishek suspended for carrying an AK-47; Singh said assault rifles have no place in crowd control
- Pellet guns
- Delhi Police said they had not received pellet guns; reportedly used once in Delhi on a DCP-rank officer's order
- Intelligence failure
- Lack of actionable intelligence at Delhi Police and IB level, plus a miscalculation of numbers, let protesters reach close to Parliament
- Criminal infiltration
- 989 hardened criminals and foreign nationals reportedly present at the Jantar Mantar dharna site
- Protest funding
- Feeding thousands reportedly cost about Rs 8 lakh a day (nearly Rs 2.75 crore a month); Singh urged investigating the funds' source
Quotes
Vikram Singh
Former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police
“AK-47 assault rifles have no place in crowd-control operations and the suspension of a constable seen carrying the weapon was entirely justified.”
thestatesman.com
“An AK-47 is an assault rifle and should never be used or even displayed during civil disturbances, student agitations or farmers’ protests.”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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