The incident of stone pelting by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members on the cavalcade of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has exposed security lapses and intelligence failure. Observers opined that law and order continues to be a matter of concern with rising crimes against minors and women in the State for the last few years.

Moreover, despite knowing the fact that people are outraged over the recent incident of rape and murder of a seven-year old girl in Haldwani, Director General of Police BS Sidhu had ignored the urgency back home and chosen to attend the DGPs’ conference in Guwahati. Due to lack of intelligence input, the police failed to alert the Chief Minister’s cavalcade to either delay the departure or change the route. The questions are now being raised about a security lapse and intelligence failure which has caused pelting of stones on the vehicles of Chief Minister’s cavalcade.

The incident has alarmed the senior police officers about the security of the Chief Minister while on his visit to other parts of the State.

The BJYM members allegedly pelted stones at the vehicle in Chief Minister’s cavalcade in Haldwani when the Chief Minister had gone to meet the family members of the child victim of rape and murder in Haldwani on Friday. The BJYM members assembled on the road in protest against rise in the incidence of crime against women and deteriorating law and order situation in the State. Sources said that BJYM members assured the policemen that they would protest peacefully but they had stoned the fleet of cars in a bid to catch the Chief Minister’s attention.

With the BJP and other political parties trying to take political mileage by highlighting deteriorating law and order situation, the police officers have been making desperate efforts to hush up the issue.

Moreover, police seemed to be not taking lessons from an incident reported in the Vidhan Sabha on January 21 last wherein due to security lapses and intelligence failure, the Bharatiya Janata Party MlA from Rudrapur, Rajkumar Thukral, against whom non-bailable warrants were issued by the court, had reportedly arrived in the Assembly premises and signed the attendance register of  MlAs and escaped from the scene.  This incident had also raised a question mark of police efficiency.

However, there is a feeling in the police that this incident had sent a wrong message to the people about the law and order. The senior police officer said that an inquiry has been set up and action would be taken after reports are received. The case had been registered at the police station and some persons had been taken into custody. ADGP (law and order) Ram Singh Meena said that instructions had been issued to all the district police heads to take extra precaution during the Chief Minister’s visit in their districts. 

Moreover, taking a note of the adverse fall-out of the incident, the State Government seems to be launching an exercise to control damage caused by the stone-pelting on the cavalcade of the Chief Minister in Haldwani. The State Government transferred four police officers on Friday. State Additional Director General of Police (administration) Anil K Raturi was directed to conduct an inquiry over the pelting of stones on the cavalcade of the Chief Minster and Rautri has been directed to submit the inquiry report within 15 days.