Cops ignore Blue Book protocol due to ‘political interference’: Kunwar Vijay Partap

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 7

Former Punjab Police IGP Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh on Friday alleged that the state police seldom follow the Ministry of Home Affair’s ‘Blue Book’ that details about the security given to the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister, due to undue political interference.

Kunwar’s statement pertains to the alleged ‘security breach’ during PM Narendra Modi’s Ferozepur visit on Wednesday.

Kunwar, who is AAP’s candidate for Amritsar North in the 2022 Assembly elections, held a joint press conference with his party colleague Maneesh Aggarwal, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2017 elections from the same seat.

Talking about the PM’s controversial visit, he said that the fixed protocol was not followed that led to the chaos.

“The ‘Blue Book’ is always in the personal possession of the Police Commissioners and SSPs. This book contains the security protocol that has to be followed during the visit of VVIPs like the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister. These directions have to be followed by officers concerned. But today hardly any officer would be aware of the ‘Blue Book’. The reason is that under the existing political system, officers have to follow ‘political guidelines’ rather than the laid-down procedure,” he said.

Kunwar said he never favoured either the PM or the CM. “No matter which party they belong to, I am concerned about the sanctity of the chair that has to be maintained at any cost”, he said.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the state government’s action to curb drug menace in the state, he said: “It would be the prime priority on our agenda to eradicate drug abuse. Arvind Kejriwal has already declared at Gurdaspur rally to rein in the drug nexus in the state within six months’ of coming to power.”

Kunwar said the revenue is misappropriated due to corruption and if the AAP comes power, the tax payers’ money would be ploughed back for development and betterment of people’s life.

On President’s rule as was being demanded by the BJP and other Opposition parties to be implemented in the state, he said that it actually meant by the Centre to have an indirect control over the state.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.