A protest by Delhi Police personnel at the force’s headquarters over the transfer of Assistant Commissioner of Police Manasvi Vashisht and a station house officer remained unresolved after the first round of talks with senior officials on November 2, according to a report by Jagran. A second round of discussions is now being prepared to address the personnel’s demands.
The protest followed the transfer of ACP Manasvi Vashisht and the SHO after a dispute at Karkardooma Court. The report said police personnel believe the transfers were made under pressure from lawyers and that sending the officers to non-operational units has damaged the morale of the force.
The gathering at police headquarters was led by Vashisht, with police personnel raising slogans against decisions taken by senior officers. Jagran described the mobilisation as an unusual development in the history of the Delhi Police, as personnel came together at headquarters to oppose administrative decisions concerning officers.
Senior officials began discussions with the protesting personnel in an effort to calm the situation. The first meeting, however, ended without a decision on the principal demands. The report said three demands in particular remained difficult for the administration to resolve, while the protesting personnel had presented five demands in total.
One of the key demands was reported to be the withdrawal of cases against lawyers. The personnel also objected to the transfers of Vashisht and the SHO, arguing that action against police officers following pressure from outside the department could weaken confidence within the force. The supplied report does not provide the full text of all five demands or specify the cases to which the demand relates.
Speaking after the meeting, Vashisht said the demands had been placed before Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, who had provided time for the discussion. She said only a limited number of people had received an opportunity to speak openly, but that the demands had been conveyed and were being discussed. She also said some matters would need to be resolved that day.
“We have placed our demands before the police commissioner. He gave us a time for the meeting as we wanted. However, as we had anticipated, very few people got an opportunity to speak openly. Still, we conveyed our demands to him and discussions are under way,” Vashisht was quoted as saying by Jagran.
Vashisht also said the personnel had not come to stage a protest but to hold a gathering. She added that they would not leave if a decision was not taken that day, while officials would communicate with them after discussing the demands.
The administration is now preparing for another round of dialogue. The immediate challenge for the police leadership is to address the personnel’s concerns while maintaining the department’s disciplinary and administrative procedures. The next meeting and any decision by the police commissioner are expected to determine whether the protest at headquarters ends.
