Officers Told To Avoid Arguments, Emotional Appeals And Provocation Amid Social Media Scrutiny
Delhi Police personnel have been advised to remain calm, avoid engaging with protesters and use brief responses to prevent confrontations from going viral. (File Photo)
Fresh guidelines issued to Delhi Police by a central agency have advised personnel deployed during protests to remain calm, avoid reacting to provocation and be conscious that demonstrators may film them and portray them as “villains”, police sources said on Sunday.
The advisory comes in the backdrop of allegations of police excesses during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar last month.
“Your anger is their satisfaction and content for them to portray you as villains,” the guidelines say, urging personnel to exercise restraint and remember that their conduct during demonstrations is likely to be recorded and scrutinised.
A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the directions were intended to ensure professionalism and restraint during crowd-management duties. Similar instructions had been issued to officers deployed during the CJP protest, the officer said.
“I had given the same directions to all the officers during the CJP protest — not to give any reaction to any of the protesters and just to do their duty,” the officer told PTI.
The guidelines ask personnel to assume that their actions and reactions are being recorded on mobile phones and could later circulate widely on social media.
Police personnel have been advised to avoid unnecessary conversations with protesters and not respond to questions, taunts, emotional appeals or attempts to draw them into arguments. Where interaction is unavoidable, they have been told to limit themselves to asking protesters to cooperate and otherwise remain silent.
During the CJP protest, several videos of police personnel were widely shared online, with some showing verbal altercations between officers and demonstrators.
The fresh instructions specifically caution personnel against reacting to mockery, humour, songs, dances, placards, mock salutes or other behaviour intended to provoke a response.
Officers have also been told not to push away mobile phones, snatch or throw objects, shout in anger or engage in physical confrontation unless required as part of their duty.
The advisory also asks personnel not to get drawn into conversations about personal circumstances, family issues, salaries or other emotional subjects that may be raised by protesters.
Professional body language and respectful language have been stressed, with personnel instructed to exercise restraint even when demonstrators deliberately attempt to provoke them.
Police have also been advised not to accept flowers, food or other items from women protesters. During earlier protests, videos showed agitators offering flowers to personnel while saying that they would do so despite allegedly being lathi-charged. The contrasting visuals had triggered criticism of the police on social media.
At the same time, the guidelines stress that crowd control should not come at the cost of public safety. Personnel have been directed to help protesters who fall ill or suffer injuries and ensure unobstructed movement of ambulances, schoolchildren and elderly people.
The directions come amid a series of protests in the capital in which both police personnel and demonstrators have frequently filmed each other, with several such interactions later becoming subjects of debate and criticism online.
Personnel in district, railway and metro units have also been advised to remain particularly conscious of their conduct in public spaces.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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