Kiran Bedi urges Police leadership to be decisive in lawyer-cop fight

Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi has responded to the strife between Delhi police officials and lawyers outside Tis Hazari Court on Wednesday. Bedi, who earned respect as the first Indian woman to join the Indian Police Service and regarded as one of the finest, spoke in support of the police officials saying that they must be protected. Lawyers and Police officials got into a scuffle outside the Tis Hazari Court on November 2.

READ | Delhi police personnel speak about the police-lawyers clash

Read former Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police Kiran Bedi's response

"A call to leadership. 
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We talk of rights and responsibilities. The police officers have a legal responsibility to protect life and property and enforce respect for the law and lawful directions. They are trained to do.  Failing to protect is neglect, cowardice or complicity. 

When Police men and women perform their duty fairly, firmly, fearlessly and responsibly, they need to be protected by their seniors. More so when their actions are open to full enquiry , always, which is why the police departments have exclusive departments of vigilance and departmental enquiries. Hence, it is the duty of the department itself to scrutinise their acts of omission and commission in a rigorous manner. 

This is when the role of leadership comes. It is their duty to ensure no one is prejudged and humiliated for doing their bonafide duty.  Never drive men and women in uniform to the wall and let them lose faith in their own service and own seniors. They must trust their seniors that while they do their duty they shall be defended, protected and heard before being judged. Something of this kind cannot go amiss. 

Watch FULL parking-lot brawl video that sparked lawyers-police faceoff

We the people will suffer in the long run if we weaken this responsibility. People cannot have a diffident force. We need a decisive force for all-round protection. Crisis will come and go. It’s the way of the world. All police acts can be categorised as Malafide or Bonafide. This is why disputed actions require urgent inquiry. But not premature humiliation in any form. It hurts them and self-respect of their families. Most of all their children. Police leadership needs to be sensitive to this. 

Such actions are the defining moments of police leadership... As mine did in Jan 1988. We then did not have video virals. Technology now speaks and provides evidence for and against. There are Lessons to be learnt for all, from this incident yet again. 

Key is are we willing?"

READ | 'Humara CP kaisa ho, Kiran Bedi jaisa ho' chant at Delhi cops' protest

Kiran Bedi urges Police leadership to be decisive 

Kiran Bedi also tweeted to the Delhi police saying that they should be decisive. She wrote in her tweet that leadership requires taking touch decisions. She added that difficult situations will go but tough decisions and actions would be remembered.

Police take to protest 

Hundreds of police personnel staged an unprecedented protest outside the police headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday. When Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik appealed to them to maintain peace, he was booed by his own force with "Humara CP (Commissioner of Police) kaisa ho, Kiran Bedi jaisa ho" slogans. The incident comes after the scuffle between lawyers and police over parking issue; as per a CCTV footage, lawyers are seen thrashing cops outside the court.

READ | Delhi Police announces slew of actions after day-long protests by cops