Bitter lesson for the force

More vigilante than thou. That seems to be the motto of at least two large groups of professionals in the nation’s capital when a casual parking tiff arising on the premises of Delhi’s Tis Hazari district courts on Saturday rapidly degenerated into full-blown violence, spread to the Saket judicatory complex and quickly took the ugly shape of a veritable war of strike and counter-strike between the police force and lawyers.

The controversial and unprecedented strike by Delhi Police — Section 3 of the Police Forces (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1966, prohibits cops from participating in any mass demonstration or communicating to the press their own demands — has been called off. But given such a potentially explosive and socially destabilising turn of events took place under the very noses of the government, why is the home ministry maintaining a somewhat curious silence?

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court which took suo motu cognisance has directed the commissioner to transfer out special commissioner Sanjay Singh and additional deputy commissioner Harinder Singh during the pendency of an inquiry. While the lawyers had promptly pointed out the illegal nature of the police strike, they are not being as reasonable in demanding the termination of their services sans investigation. And perhaps, this is because they hold the trump card in this game of egos. The cops are, after all, employees bounden by rules even when it makes sense for the government to woo this numerically significant community — by engaging in tacit quid-pro-quos — especially with the district bar association polls now deferred but by a few days? The protection afforded by political cronyism, was it, that made its members so bold as to raise their hand against the lawkeepers? Three years ago, they beat up student leader Kanhaiya Kumar as the police stood by in complicity. That monster has now come home to roost. What say the cops?