Social media videos, audio clip of hurt policeman spurred protesters
NEW DELHI: Multiple peer groups were created on social media platforms such as Whatsapp and Telegram by serving Delhi Police personnel and their families to share videos, audios of the assault on police personnel allegedly by lawyers and mobilise themselves for the protest outside the police headquarters at ITO on Tuesday.
The protesting personnel said that the decision to hold a “silent protest” was taken on Monday afternoon, soon after the video of a constable being assaulted allegedly by a lawyer at Saket Courts and a purported recording of another policeman injured in Saturday’s clash was broadcast on news channels and social media.
“The video and audio enraged us all. Our anger was not only because our colleagues were attacked, but also because our senior officers, including the police commissioner, did not enquire about their well being or took any stand when the high court directed them to only punish us,” said Narender, a constable posted in the third battalion.
Another agitating policeman said that reactions from personnel started pouring in as soon as the assault videos and audio went viral on social media. Many police personnel began venting out our anger by exchanging messages over cellphones. The information about the protest outside the headquarters started coming through various groups created on Whatsapp and Telegram by members of the police family welfare groups.
“By Monday evening, these social media groups had around 5,000 members. Invites to police personnel and their families to assemble outside PHQ at 9 am on Tuesday to protect our honour and dignity were sent through messages,” said the policeman, who wished to be unidentified.
Initially, many of the police personnel who received the invites feared that they will face departmental action if they held a protest against their own top officers. But as some IPS officers, including those retired or currently posted outside Delhi, started showing their outrage against the assaults and inaction by Delhi Police’s top brass, the police personnel decided to go ahead with their protest plan, many of the protestors said.
The protesting personnel said that many attempts were made by senior officers to dissuade them from carrying out the protest. These left many of them confused as whether to assemble outside the police headquarters or stay away from the protest. However,
the protest plan materialised when around 20 personnel, including women, reached outside the headquarters around 9 am and started sending selfies and messages on social media groups.
Woman constable Sangeeta said that she could not stop herself from joining the protest after seeing such selfies and messages on some Whatsapp groups. “I asked some of my batchmates and many of them agreed, even as some were on duty. We expressed our wish to join the protest before our seniors, but they did not stop us,” she said.
Most of the personnel said they were either off duty or on leave. Those who were a part of the agitation at the cost of their duties said they had convinced their colleagues to step in for them. Many were in plainclothes and many in uniforms had removed their name plates - lest they be identified and punished. “Initially most of us were hesitant as we were suspicious of the call for protest. But when we were sure that there were many participants, we decide to lend them our support,” said constable Manisha.
While the agitators included officers to the rank of inspectors, they mostly comprised of constables and head constables. By noon, many retired officers and their families joined them.