In a controversial decision following SFI leader Sudipto Gupta’s death in police custody in June, Kolkata police commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha on Saturday declared a ban on the law violation programme by all political parties in the city. He also made it clear that no political event would be allowed at the Metro Channel.
The city top cop’s announcement came after an all-party meeting at Lalbazar, the city police headquarters. Leaders of eleven parties attended the meeting on law and order situation. Dropping a bomb-shell at a press meet, Mr Purkayastha admitted of the city police’s lack of infrastructure to tackle such programmes.
“For a long time we did not have such an infrastructure for the law violation programmes. Till date it is yet to be built. Our city is unplanned and witnesses congestion when a law violation programme is held. The public life collapses. The common people suffer and feel disturbed as the buses are taken off the road,” he said.
Elaborating the guidelines Mr Purkayastha informed, “We have asked the political parties not to hold any law violation programme for the time being so that no untoward incident takes place. As of now, the law violation programme will not be allowed.”
Describing the meeting as a “constructive discussion” he then spoke of a remedy.
“We are trying to build our infrastructure as soon as possible,” he said. On the nature of infrastructure, the police commissioner explained that all issues including the venue and its space would be taken into account. He also informed, “No political party will be allowed to hold their programmes at Metro Channel.”
The place at Dharmatola had become a hot-spot for the political parties for their programmes after the change in venue from the Esplanade East.
“The political parties can, however, organise other programmes including rallies and meetings after obtaining permission from the police,” Mr Purkayastha explained.
But the present top cop’s cry for infrastructure triggered a controversy within the rank and file of the force. Requesting anonymity, a senior IPS officer who earlier worked at the city police contradicted him. “If the force did not have any infrastructure earlier then how were so many law violation programmes allowed to be held then?” he questioned.