IPS officer-MLA face-off: Cong,SP want action againts lawmaker

The public snub to a woman IPS officer by a BJP MLA today prompted the Samajwadi Party and the Congress to demand action against the lawmaker even as UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya backed his party colleague.
"People's representatives have to reach the spot where an incident has taken place. Officers should also maintain balance. They try to find a way out after giving a hearing to the people about their grievances and avoid arguments. I wish such an incident did not take place," Maurya told reporters here.
He was asked to comment on the eviction of a group of people demanding closure of a liquor shop in Gorakhpur, represented in the Lok Sabha by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Local BJP MLA Radha Mohan Das Aggarwal had gone to the spot after complaints by the protesters that Circle Officer Charu Nigam had forcibly evicted them.
They alleged that the police had hit a woman and also dragged away an 80-year-old man.
A clip of an exchange of words between the MLA and Nigam aired by TV channels showed the legislator questioning the IPS officer about her action.

Nigam is seen taking out a handkerchief and wiping her tears off. The police officer later accused the MLA of insulting her.
"The MLA misbehaved with me in full public view and did not even consider the fact that he was speaking to a woman police officer," she said.

The Congress party demanded that strict action be taken against the legislator for "misbehaving" with the officer.
"An FIR should be registered against the BJP MLA for creating hindrance in a government official's work. Such incidents bring down the morale of officers," party leader Satyadev Tripathi said.
The Samajwadi Party also attacked the BJP government for the "high-handedness" of its legislator.
"After the BJP government came to power, such incidents have increased. Strict action should be taken against the MLA," a party spokesman said here.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said in Kanpur the state government has "turned" a blind eye to law and order matters.

"There is no control over crime," he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also said, "Radhamohanji is a very senior legislator and I do not have full details of the incident."
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Amitabh Thakur wrote to UP IPS Association president Praveen Singh calling for a meeting of the body to take up the matter.
He said, "If IPS officers do not stand up and defend their colleagues a wrong message will go."
Reacting to the footage that showed her wiping tears off, Nigam today said, "I did not weep, as it is not ingrained in my personality. However, I got emotional when my senior officer supported me."

Aggarwal, on the other hand, accused her of exercising high-handedness on the protesters, who were demanding that a liquor outlet in their locality be shut.
"We are against the operation of liquor shops. People were peacefully protesting against the liquor shops, but the woman police officer forcibly evicted the protesters and while doing so, she hit a woman and dragged an 80-year-old man. This cannot be tolerated," he said.
Aggarwal rubbished allegations that he misbehaved with the officer and alleged there was a tacit understanding between the police and the liquor mafia as a liquor shop closed 15 days ago had started doing business again.

When asked to comment on the clip, Aggarwal said, "Is my body language showing that I am misbehaving with her? I was not speaking to the CO (Charu Nigam), but to the SP (City). See my body language properly."
"If you see the video recording of the incident, you will find the woman officer removing the protesters forcibly...You will see the reality," he said.
Nigam took to Facebook this morning to thank everyone who supported her.
"My training has not taught me to be weak. I just did not expect that SP city Ganesh Saha sir would outrightly reject the irrational argument and talk about my injury (sic)," she posted on the social networking site.

"I was the seniormost police officer there but when sir came and stood by the force, I got emotional. The media has taken this stand because every one of them saw both incidents and this shows the positivity of the media in Gorakhpur. I am thankful to them to have shown the truth with least manipulation," she said.
The IPS officer said the people should not think that "I am weak because I had tears in my eyes. It was due to the tenderness associated with women".