A detailed security directive issued by the Inspector General of Police, Border Range, Amritsar, to the SSPs of Amritsar Rural, Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot has triggered a political storm in Punjab, with the Opposition citing the instructions as evidence of growing security concerns facing police personnel and attacking the Bhagwant Mann government over law and order.
Any attempts to follow police personnel, gather information about their duties or make suspicious inquiries are to be taken seriously and immediately reported to senior officers. The IG has directed supervisory officers to personally brief police personnel on the instructions and ensure that they reach the force at the lowest level. They have also been advised to take precautions before entering markets, residential areas and other places, while ensuring that their identity and movement do not become predictable during travel by private vehicles, buses, trains or police vehicles. The order further asks personnel, as far as possible, not to travel alone and instead follow the Buddy Pair System. Officers and control points are to be informed about a personnel’s departure and safe arrival. The directive also stresses heightened caution while checking unidentified persons and vehicles, keeping weapons and security equipment ready for use and avoiding unnecessary mobile phone use, personal conversations and other forms of negligence while on duty. Police personnel have additionally been asked to avoid following predictable patterns of movement, including the same group, timing and mode of transport. Routes should not be fixed in a manner that allows unauthorised persons to anticipate police movements in advance. The IG has also ordered special surveillance around police camps, barracks, police posts and residential areas for suspicious persons, vehicles and unusual activity. SAD’s Majithia and Congress’ Warring have attacked Bhagwant Mann Another significant direction relates to night-time security. Gazetted Officers and SHOs have been instructed to personally conduct regular and effective checking of bazaars, police posts and other sensitive locations. The directive further calls for detailed briefing of the Armed Police, Punjab Home Guards and other security forces. It asks police to thoroughly verify suspicious foreign contacts or foreign nationals near sensitive locations and to investigate their backgrounds and associated activities. The order also specifically directs police to coordinate with specialised agencies in cases involving gangsters and organised crime, drug trafficking and possible inter-district, inter-state or foreign links. Information on gangster-related matters is to be shared with the Anti-Gangster Task Force, while drug trafficking information is to be shared with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force. The detailed security instructions have now become a political flashpoint. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia questioned the law and order situation, alleging that the Punjab Police has been rendered helpless under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. He referred to viral audio recordings purportedly suggesting police helplessness in the face of gangsters and demanded that the police clarify whether the situation has deteriorated to such an extent. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also targeted the Mann government, saying, “Rome was burning and Nero was playing the flute. Warring alleged that while Punjab was facing serious problems, Bhagwant Mann was busy telling jokes on public platforms.
Issued on September 18, the directive calls for special measures for the personal security of police personnel, protection of duty points and strengthening of checking arrangements in view of the prevailing security situation. At nakas and checking points, the IG has called for 360-degree security coverage, dispersal of personnel instead of congregating at one location and deployment of an armed and vigilant sentry at a secure position.
Among the key directions, police personnel have been told not to unnecessarily move around in uniform while travelling to or from duty points. Route checking, the order says, should not remain confined to routine routes but should also cover duty points, sensitive locations and the functioning of deployed personnel.
‘Don’t Travel Alone’: Punjab Warns Cops, Opposition Targets Bhagwant Mann
His attack came while the Opposition was highlighting the security precautions contained in the Border Range IG’s directive. The political focus is now on the security concerns reflected in the IG’s instructions, with the Opposition seeking to link the directive to its broader allegations of deteriorating law and order in Punjab.
Majithia also alleged that fear prevails among Punjabis and said that if the Chief Minister cannot handle Punjab, he should resign.
