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Prakash Singh panel pins blame on top officers

CHANDIGARH: Succumbing to growing pressure, the Haryana Government today released the first part of the Prakash Singh Committee report that details incidents of omission and commission by officials during the Jat agitation in February this year.

Prakash Singh panel pins blame on top officers


Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 31

Succumbing to growing pressure, the Haryana Government today released the first part of the Prakash Singh Committee report that details incidents of omission and commission by officials during the Jat agitation in February this year.

The report said there was a failure on part of the state Home Department, headed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, to deal with the situation. It pointed finger at the then Director-General of Police and then Home Secretary. The report blamed the BJP government for complete failure in checking law and order in the state that led to collapse of the administrative machinery. There was a complete "administrative paralysis" and the "highest functionaries in the government failed to show the kind of guidance, direction and control that is expected in a crisis of such proportions", it said.

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BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini, BJP leader and former MLA Roshan Lal Arya, Sudeep Kalkal (Jat leader) and others have been accused of inciting violence. Chapter “Adding fuel to fire” in the report highlights how these leaders were allowed to spew venom that fuelled violence.

Prakash Singh submitted the report in the stipulated 70 days after interacting with 2,217 persons. About 400 of them had filed written statements. The committee also questioned about 200 officers of the affected districts. More than 100 videos shot during the agitation were also received by the committee.

The report said the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and the Director General of Police fell short of what could be expected of them. Both officers have since been replaced. 

The report reads: “The Home Department did not issue any directions on handling the crisis, while the then DGP Yash Pal Singhal did not visit any of the affected areas and also did not permit the next highest ranked officer to do so.” 

“What was lacking was the will to act, the determination to prevent riotous mobs from assembling in the first instance and then dealing with them effectively while they were committing acts of violence, arson, loot or vandalism,” it said.

The report says many of the 90 officers named in the report for dereliction of duty showed either caste bias or cowardice.

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