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Undaunted by the National Human Rights Commission notice over the alleged excesses on opposition leaders staging anti-Mayaati demonstrations in Uttar Pradesh, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party dispensation is all set for a showdown with the Samajwadi Party, that has called for a statewide demonstration on March 17.
That was clearly reflected at a press conference by state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh on Wednesday, when he went on to justify how the police action against demonstrating SP and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders was inevitable on account of guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court and high court.
Evidently, Singh's remarks were also aimed at issuing a veiled warning to the SP which had announced simultaneous statewide demonstrations across the rural expanse of Uttar Pradesh on March 17.
Mayawati's cops had blatantly displayed their highhandedness when they went on a thrashing spree during anti-government demonstrations, staged both by the SP as well as the BJP in Lucknow last week. On Tuesday, the NHRC took serious suo motu cognisance of merciless thrashing of a peaceful rally by the Deputy Inspector General of Police of Lucknow.
Even Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar too issued notice to state police chief Karamveer Singh for the alleged manhandling of SP Member of Parliament, and the party's state president Akhilesh Yadav.
"The Supreme Court, as well as the high court had on several occasions in the past has issued explicit directives to the state government to give top priority to public order. It had spelt out clearly that the government must take stern action against agitations or demonstrations by political parties, which tend to disrupt the law and order. The courts had also prescribed maximum punishment in all such cases," the cabinet secretary sought to point out.
"It was therefore imperative for the state machinery to take suitable action against those who were found indulging in any kind of disruptive activity on March 17, when the SP proposes to stage state wide demonstrations," he pointed out.
He clarified, "We surely do not dispute the legitimate right of political parties to demonstrate or agitate, but we are bound by law to initiate action against those who seek to disrupt peace."
"On behalf of the state government, I would like to urge the opposition parties to refrain from indulging in any act that would cause inconvenience to the common people," he added.
He said, "It would also be pertinent to mention that such restraint was also important in the larger context of the Holi festival that is just round the corner, and could be used by mischief mongers to disturb the communal harmony in the state."