Aas Mohammad Kaif, Twocircles.net
After the protests against CAA on 20th December in UP, UP police are facing many accusations. The most serious one is the allegation that the police were accompanied by some civilians who inflicted violence on innocents. It is alleged that the police were helped by these “secret men” dressed in plain clothes who then also went on to vandalize public property, open fire and lathi-charge people.
The Congress regional president, Ajay Kumar Lallu, called the entire episode as pre-planned by the police, while leaders of Samajwadi Party said that the men are accomplices of the police and goons of the right-wing.
In this Twocircles.net investigation, we have tried to find out the role of these “police friends” and tried to explain the incidents.
19th December, Parivarthan Chowk, Lucknow:
Social activist Sadaf Jafar was present in the protests on 19th December when she suddenly spotted some strangers and was shocked. These strangers were hurling stones and began spreading violence in a professional manner. Sadaf Jafar, in her live video, claimed that these people were not among the protestors and the police were not even stopping them. Sadaf explained that these people were planted.
Sadaf was arrested after her video, tortured, and at present, she has been released on bail.
20th December, Nahataur Main Market
After the Friday namaz in Nahtaur many people came out to protest and they were sloganeering against the CAA. There was no violence for quite some time. In Nahtaur main market, after the people saw the RSS leader, Pramod Tyagi with police, the protestors asked the police what the RSS man was doing in the protest.
According to the protestors, Pramod Tyagi was directing the police, after which someone in the crowd began throwing stones and the situation worsened. The police began firing in which 2 youth, Sulemain and Anas were killed. The police later on questioning said that Pramod Tyagi was present there as a friend of the police and he was trying to help the police in maintaining peace.
20th December, 2 pm, Civil Lined Bijnor:
In many places, there was no plan to protest on Fridays. In the Jama Masjid of Bijnor black flags were placed and there was a peaceful protest. And there were no untoward incidents. But all of a sudden there was a rumor being floated that there was stone-pelting near the collectorate mosque. Some youth ran to the mosque and were attacked by the goons and the police who were already waiting for them there.
Here, they were brutally beaten up due to which they were hospitalized. According to folks beaten up, attackers were all people from Hindutva groups and the police remained silent and took no action against them.
20th December, Mahaveer Chowk, Muzaffarnagar:
After the Friday prayers thousands took to streets to protest against the Government. When the crowd reached Mahavir Chowk it is alleged that the Central Minister asked the police to chase away the crowd. The police lathi charged the crowd and they were accompanied by some secret elements.
According to Salman Sayed, Congress leader, these secret accomplices of the police were members of Hindutva groups who committed atrocities against the people.
These gangs burnt the workshop and even tried to burn alive a horse belonging to the protestors. The police did not say anything and did not register even a formal FIR against them.
According to Shri Mohan Tayal, a BJP leader, these people were their party people and were helping the police. All the police from other places admitted that these ‘secret’ people but were friends of the police.
Who are these friends of police?
O. P. Singh, DGP said that he brought the police friend to encourage the concept of community policing. Last year in June, IG Law and Order, Praveen Kumar had said that to improve community policing, to strengthen the police and maintain law and order, the Government of Uttar Pradesh has introduced this scheme. And that this is a type of volunteer service and no one will be harmed in this process. But everyone has been issued identity cards but they are not being paid. Although the police friends are present in large numbers.
Every policeman has been given the target of enrolling 10 police friends. And within 72 hours the police recruited 15,000 such ‘police friends’.
The Inspector-General of law and order Praveen Kumar said that there is need for these ‘police friends’ during the times of festivals and also to give feedback to the police. And these people will be under the police. Now SSP Kanpur Ananth Tiwari has recruited thousands of such people in categories of S-10, S-8, S-7.
Hindutva goons become “police friends” under the new government
This scheme to improve the law and order and help the police have been in practice earlier also and was known by the name of SPO. The state government has given them the name ‘police friends’. Under the new system, the SPO has been abolished due to the many allegations that were filed against them.
After the formation of the new government, the role of the secret police has reduced so they began frequent visits to the police stations to bring them to the forefront. In Muzaffarnagar, there were Muslims also who joined these secret police friends and they did their duty well, making arrangements for the ‘ Kanvadiya’ Yatra.
Side effects of the ‘police friends’
Ex-minister Deepak Kumar says, ‘ A large number of members of the Hindutva gang have become police friends and there is a drastic change in the behavior of this police friends. Their vehicles have the words ‘POLICE’ written over them and some even claim to be associated with the crime branch and do as they like. They are all associated with a specific political ideology and will never change their outlook. They throw their weight around everywhere they go. The police need to understand that they should choose sensible people for this work.
What do the ‘police friends’ say?
In Mawana there are “honorary policemen friend” who are also members of the BJP. Gaurav, one such police friend, says that he always wanted to join the police force. But since he could not, he opted to become police friend. He says, ‘I keep an eye on any suspicious and wrong things that happen around me and inform about it to the police. I am now a good friend of the police. Sometimes the police take our help when they are short of policemen.’
Devender of Muzaffarnagar says that he assists the police of the check post and now has a good reputation in his locality.
What are the police officers saying
According to the DIG of Saharanpur, Upendra Agarwal, the claim that police friends were involved is not true. If it is so then people can file their complaints and he will enquire into the matter.
Ananth Tiwari, SSP of Police of Kanpur said that police friends have been recruited to help during festivals, large gatherings, and such other functions. “They have no role in any riots. If this is true we will find out more.”