Additional Commissioner R.K. Bhagat will do a great service to the State if he is able to prepare an honest and true report on the issue of use of excessive force by police authorities on March 10 last when communal clashes surfaced in the town of Rajouri and threatened to engulf other parts of Jammu but for timely intervention of a team of ministers. Complaint was made by the minority group that IRP ruthlessly attacked their houses, damaged the property, manhandled the inmates and thus perfected vandalizing of the civilian population. The Government swiftly moved into action and a ministerial team was able to restore normalcy. In fulfillment of their commitment, the Addl. Commissioner will be conducting the enquiry. Though people of the town have been living in peace and harmony and they have good inter-community relations, it is unfortunate that something ugly happened on March 9-10. This should not have happened. Sources have the apprehension that IRP personnel deployed on duty have over-played their role, and that in all probability, they acted with prejudice against the minority community. Whatever the reason, the Government has to ensure that its security force personnel behave in a totally secular and non-communal manner while handling public demonstrations and rallies. The people have a right to demonstrate and seek redress of their grievances but they have not the right to damage public property. On the other hand law enforcing agencies have no right to go berserk and misuse their powers on peaceful demonstrators. Which law allows them to enter private homes, destroy private property and harass the inmates? If this gross irregularity on the part of IRP is established, then the victims need to be compensated, and the police personnel held responsible dealt with according to the law of the land.
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