‘Even I would’ve arrested Anna’
Union home secretary R.K. Singh on Thursday said that had he been the Delhi police commissioner, he too would have arrested anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare few months ago when the latter was to begin his fast-unto-death to press for a strong anti-graft law.
Putting his thoughts on record at the home ministry’s press conference to present a three-year report on the achievements and setbacks of the MHA, Mr Singh said both the agitations of yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Mr Hazare were handled “very well” and stressed that any future stir will also be “dealt” by the Delhi police.
With Mr Hazare threatening to renew his protest on Lokpal, Mr Singh said, “The matter will be dealt by the Delhi police and the commissioner of police who is in-charge of the law and order. It will be dealt according to the best judgment and I have fullest confidence on their judgment.”
He said the government does not handle any law and order situation by taking public opinion but by the best available option at that particular time and best judgment. “I do not agree with the people who said he (Mr Hazare) should never have been sent to jail. Absolutely no question. Had I been in the place of (Delhi) police commissioner, I would have done exactly what he did,” he said. “There was no question of the government being in a tizzy,” he added.
On Mr Hazare’s arrest, Mr Singh said, “Of course, many people had expressed the view that X should not have been put in jail or Y should not have been put in jail. I think if you go by a poll and ask different people what we should have done, you will never be able to handle any law and order (situation),” he said. “We never have handled law and order that way,” he said.
Incidentally, Mr Singh was the then district collector when Mr L.K. Advani was held in Bihar during his Rath Yatra.
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