Kullu fracas

The scuffle between the Kullu SP and the Himachal Pradesh CM’s security staff outside the Bhuntar airport has laid bare lack of decorum in a section of the state police force. The incident is also a huge embarrassment for the government as it happened during the visit of Union minister Nitin Gadkari. The officers had an altercation over the protocol for the vehicles in the VVIP motorcade, even as the presence of a group of protesters at the spot also acted as a trigger. Members of the Four-lane Prabhavit Kisan Sangh, who are seeking higher compensation for their land acquired for a highway project, had reportedly been allowed by the district authorities to gather outside the airport so that they could raise their issues with the Union minister and the Chief Minister.

Opinion is divided on who overreacted to the situation: the CM’s staff, the SP, or both. But there is no denying that the turn of events was avoidable. The clash has revealed poor coordination between the police and the CM’s security staff. It’s unpardonable that the established protocol, which should be adhered to under all circumstances, became a point of contention. Even as it is every citizen’s democratic right to stage a peaceful protest, the go-ahead to the farmers should have been given in consultation with the CM’s office. The latter could have even scheduled a meeting later that day or the next day between the Sangh and Gadkari in the CM’s presence. Instead, all those who witnessed the ugly fight got the impression that the state government was being evasive about the protesters’ problems.

The HP government should take exemplary action against the erring officers so that such free-for-all is not repeated. The viral images of senior cops slapping and kicking each other like unruly schoolboys should serve as a wake-up call for the political leadership. There ought to be zero tolerance to such misconduct that can erode the public’s faith and confidence in the law enforcement system.