NEWDELHI: Shankar Dayal Singh, a senior Janata Dal’ member of the Rajya Sabha prostrated himself on the road in front of the main entrance to the Parliament House to block the Prime Minister’s cavalcade last week to protest against he allegedly insulting and “intimidating” attitude of Delhi Police officers.
The member was persuaded by minister of state for parliamentary affairs, Matang Singh and other members of Parliament from taking the extreme step.
Almost over 10 members of Parliament and dozens other parliamentary secretariat personnel were repeatedly asked allegedly ‘in almost rude and insulting language” to clear the passage in front of the Parliament House for the Prime Minister’s cavalcade to pass.
The incident had its echo in the House today with almost all sections of the ‘House protesting in no uncertain terms ‘on what they described as “rude and shocking” behavior of the Delhi Police personnel. They said, “We have heard of shocking police behavior outside, But to be insulted on Parliament House premises little too much to take for the members of Parliament,” they added.
In the wake of these charges the home minister S.B, Chavan said that he had given instructions to the Delhi police commissioners to find out the names of the officers who had indulged in such a behavior and henceforth not to allow any loudspeaker van of Delhi Traffic Police to pass through the Parliament House premises.
Instructions have also been issued that each of the guilty policeman should apologize to each of the affected MP in person, Chavan said. The home minister described the police behavior “very unfortunate” and said it happened as Prime Minister switched his program at the last moment and Delhi traffic police had to rush personnel to clear the passage for his cavalcade.
The members said there was a time when no Delhi policeman could be seen inside Parliament with the watch and ward staff doing the security job effectively, “Now you have Black Cais, sniffer dogs, intelligence men, surveillance cameras and hardly any watch and ward staff,” the members complained bitterly.
They said when there was so much security inside Parliament with people being frisked and checked before entry; security regulations even for Prime Minister’s security should not be as stringent as they were outside.
Leader of the opposition Sikandar Bakht said the entire system of VVIP security needed to be overhauled. His party colleague KR. Malkani said security should be effective and not destructed.
Mohd Salim and M.A, Baby both CPM said they were not asking that security for the Prime Minister should be compromised, but policemen are expected to behave politely even with the general masses.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 2, 1995
