House panel questions police, demands security for Gurmehar

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday grilled the Delhi Police brass over the recent incidents at Delhi University’s Ramjas College.

The Delhi police registered an FIR in connection with the alleged rape threat to 20-yearold college student Gurmehar Kaur after commissioner Amulya Patnaik was questioned by members of Parliament’s standing committee on home affairs.

Kaur’s father captain Mandeep Singh was martyred in 1999 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Kaur, a Lady Shri Ram College student, is at the centre of a fierce debate on patriotism after her comments surfaced on social media — following the Ramjas row — that her father was killed in a war and not by Pakistan.

At the beginning of the meeting of the committee, chairman P Chidambaram asked Patnaik what they wanted to say about the Ramjas incident.

Sources said BJP’s Bishnu Pada Ray raised strong objections. He said, “The meeting has been called to discuss the demands for grants of home ministry pertaining to central paramilitary forces and Delhi Police.” But Chidambaram overruled him.

Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien brushed aside Ray’s comments and supported Chidambaram. Other Opposition members also demanded that Delhi Police explain the situation. The MPs asked commissioner Patnaik what action he had taken on the threat to Gurmehar Kaur, sources said.

An hour later, Patnaik informed the committee that an FIR had been registered in the case.

The members asked if security had been provided to the girl, the sources said.

The members said registration of an FIR was not enough and that Kaur must get enough security.

The police commissioner explained the prevailing situation in the varsity and action taken so far to maintain peace to the MPs.

The MPs told Patnaik that police should catch the real criminal, sources said.