HVK Archives: Gupta to target BJP for anarchy in UP
Gupta to target BJP for anarchy in UP - The Indian Express
Harish Gupta
()
9 March 1997
Title : Gupta to target BJP for anarchy in UP
Author : Harish Gupta
Publication : The Indian Express
Date : March 9, 1997
After plunging the United Front Government into a near-crisis by
saying that there was "anarchy" in Uttar Pradesh, Union Home
Minister Indrajit Gupta is all set to retrieve the lost ground on
Monday when he will be unfolding the 14-point "Action Plan" to deal
with the situation.
Gupta will be making a detailed statement in the Rajya Sabha on the
law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh after taking to the State
Governor Romesh Bhandari tomorrow. Bhandari is coming to Delhi for
consultations with the Centre.
While sticking to his statement that statistics alone cannot be an
indication of improved law and order situation, Gupta, in all
likelihood, will turn the tables by saying that crime rate in Uttar
Pradesh was more during the BJP rule than under the direct
supervision of the Centre.
He is giving final touches to his statement, in consultation with
officials of the State Government and the Union Home Ministry. Home
Secretary K Padmanabhaiah held consultations with State Chief
Secretary Brijendra Sahai, director-general of Police Hari Das Rao
and others last Wednesday.
Gupta's thrust will be that "chaos, anarchy and destruction" is the
creation of the communal forces and Uttar Pradesh is paying the
price, especially after the destruction of the Babri mosque. The
Home Minister is expected to blame the BJP for this "chaos, anarchy
and destruction" and declare that those responsible will be dealt
with severely by the UF Government.
The main concern of the proposed Action Plan will be the transfer
and posting of field officials under political influence. The State
Government is being directed to enforce the transfer policy
vigorously.
Gupta's Plan will also emphasise that immediate action is taken to
check mafia gangs involved in land grabbing, contracts, lotteries,
kidnappings, etc, who have been operating in Uttar Pradesh for long
but have so far escaped the law enforcement authorities.
These gangs, numbering about 73 with about 500 members, have been
identified and the State Government will be taking effective,
deterrent and exemplary action against them under various laws the
NSA, the Gangster Act, the Goonda Act, the IPC, etc, the Plan will
insist.
Officials of various departments who are suspected to have links
with criminals will be kept under strict surveillance.
The State has already identified sensitive and highly sensitive
districts from the point of view of communal and caste tensions.
As the Plan is put into effect the State will be asked to do a
micro-level exercise to identify pockets in each district where
there is potential for caste conflict and to keep watch over
various groups who are likely to get involved in breaches of law
and order or in murderous attacks.
Instructions have already gone to introduce systematic patrolling
in villages and mohallas on a regular basis. The local police are
required to make contact with the groups in the villages to prevent
build-up of tension that is likely to lead to bloodshed and take
preventive actions under various provisions of law.
In Western UP, where land and real estate costs are high,
sensational crimes like kidnapping, road hold-ups, etc, have become
endemic. The Plan notes that policing in this particular tract has
so far been inadequate.
The Meerut range is one of the biggest, with six districts and the
work was being supervised by one DIG, the Action Plan points out.
The State Government has been asked to bifurcate this into two
divisions so that the work becomes manageable.
It has also been directed to establish check-posts and outposts
temporarily at vulnerable places and ensure proper patrolling on
the highways to prevent road hold-ups. Reorganisation has also been
contemplated in the intelligence setup in Western Uttar Pradesh.
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