Ex-DGP breaks silence on riots http://www.indianexpress.com/news/exdgp-breaks-silence-on-riots/800297/0

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/exdgp-breaks-silence-on-riots/800297/0

IE 07JUN2011

Gujarat EDN

Ex-DGP breaks silence on riots
Express News Service

Ahmedabad: Former Gujarat Director General of Police R N Bhattacharya has said that the 2002 riots could have been handled better had the then police leadership acted properly.

Bhattacharya, who was the DGP (anti-corruption) and president of the Gujarat IPS Officers Association during the riots, however, added that “it is not legitimate to say that police did not function properly due to instructions from political leadership”.
“If things went out of hand in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and other places, it only reflected on the performance of the police leadership,” he said.

Asked what would the leadership do if the subordinates violated the instructions, he said, “The leadership should know how to rein in the subordinates.”

“If a horse goes wild, then I have my kicks and other things to control it. It all depends on the rider,” he said while pointing out that it was exactly what happened at several places during the riots when the respective police chiefs could not deliver.

On IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, who has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court alleging that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had instructed the police to allow Hindus vent their anger, Bhattacharya said, “Personally, Bhatt is a highly reliable man. He has worked under me and done very responsible job. I was satisfied with his performance.”

Asked what did he do as the president of IPS officers association during the riots, he said it was not possible to hold a meeting of the association at that time.

“But after a month, I held a meeting and passed a resolution advising the senior officers to ask their juniors to perform their constitutional obligations of maintaining equality before law, and providing equal protection to all irrespective