The war of words raged for the second consecutive day on Friday between the BJP led Haryana Government and retired IPS Prakash Singh, who headed the committee formed to probe the laxity of officials of police and civil administration during violent Jat quota agitation in Haryana earlier this year.
IPS Prakash Singh hits back at Chief Minister Manohar lal following the latter’s remarks that Prakash Singh was looking for re-employment by volunteering giving a second report on police reforms to the State Government.
The retired IPS Prakash Singh while talking to the mediapersons expressed shock on Chief Minister’s statement.
lashing out at the Haryana Government, Prakash Singh said that he didn’t ask for any appointment to prepare a report focussing on police modernisation.
“If somebody will talk to me about job, I will say just keep quiet and don’t talk to me. Talking about employment is insult to me. I
neither want employment nor re-engagement,” said Prakash Singh.
Upset with Khattar’s statement, Singh said, “The statement has hurt me… But I respect the Chief Minister. He is a good person and I feel he is being misled by others…”
When asked to comment on the issue, Chief Minister Manohar lal on Friday said, “Prakash Singh gave a statement and then we gave a statement... The issue should be put to rest now.”
On the other hand, Cabinet Minister Anil Vij lashed out at Prakash Singh saying that there were three members in the inquiry Committee, but the report had signatures of Prakash Singh only. There are lapses in the report, said he.
Earlier also, Vij had said that it is a report, it is not the Gita that whatever Prakash Singh wrote, all of it has to be right or that those officers who have been found on the wrong foot are guilty.
Notably, Haryana Government had asked retired IPS Prakash Singh to stop working on his second report on police reforms. His first report had indicted several officers in police and administration for their failure to control violence during Jat quota stir.
Following this, the opposition had questioned the ruling BJP over the issue in the recently concluded State Assembly.
The Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar had then informed the State Assembly that former IPS officer Prakash Singh, who filed the first report into the Jat quota stir, “may have tried to force us” to allow him to present a second report but it is up to the government to see.
Manohar lal had also said, “He (Prakash Singh) was hoping that we will appoint him (for another report on police reforms), but we told him there is material in the shape of books and suggestions on police reforms and modernisation given by him (Singh) earlier which is already available (in the public domain) and, if government wants to take it, we can take from there.”
The first report of Prakash Singh Committee had blasted the civil and police administration, particularly senior officers, for abandoning their authority which it said led to the agitation paralysing the state for days. The report had faulted the top brass, among others, for inaction and caste bias during Jat stir.