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The festival of Shri Krishna Janmashtami is a symbol of faith and gaiety. On this day, in Krishna temples across the country, especially at major sites like ISKCON Temple in Delhi, millions of devotees throng. People want to see their adorable for hours in queues. But what happens when this faith is eclipsed by ‘chaos’ and ‘insecurity’? Something similar was seen in a famous ISKCON temple in Delhi on the occasion of Janmashtami this year, after which the Delhi Police Commissioner took an unprecedented and strict measures and suspended 8 policemen.
This action is one of the biggest disciplinary actions ever over security lapse during any one festival in the capital. This case shows how serious the Delhi Police’s top leadership is on public safety during festivals and negligence will not be tolerated at any cost.
After all, what happened in the ISKCON temple that night?
On the night of Janmashtami, there was a huge crowd in the temple premises. However, the policemen posted on the spot proved to be completely failed to handle the crowd. According to the complaints of Eyewitnesses and devotees, the situation had gone from bad to worse:
- Complete failure under crowd control: There was no concrete plan to control the crowd inside and outside the temple. The barricading system had collapsed and people were falling on each other, causing a threat to a stampede-like situation.
- Criminals have fun: Taking advantage of the chaos, gangs of pockets and mobile thieves became active. Hundreds of devotees who came to see their mobile phones and purse complained about the theft. Instead of security, people had to worry about their belongings.
- Hours long uncontrolled queues: The devotees had to stand in disorganized queues for hours, where the push-and-push had become common. The elderly, women and children faced the most trouble.
- Police inaction: Devotees allege that many policemen posted on the spot either remained mute spectators or were not showing any interest in handling the situation.
DCP’s displeasure and strict action of commissioner
The seriousness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that when the DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) of South-East Delhi came to take stock of the spot, she herself was shocked to see the misconduct there. They found that there are serious flaws in the security system and the deployed policemen are not doing their duty properly.
The DCP sent its report directly to the Police Commissioner. Taking cognizance of the report, the Delhi Police Commissioner considered it a case of ‘serious negligence’ and issued an order to suspend 8 policemen with immediate effect without any delay.
Those who are suspended include:
- Station in -charge (Inspector)
- Additional Police Inspector
- Sub-Inspector
- And constables
It is clear from this action that not only small employees, but also senior officials have been held accountable for security lapse.
What message does this message give?
This action is a tough message for the entire department of Delhi Police. The commissioner has made it clear that public safety, especially during festivals and large events, is his top priority. In this case, laxity or negligence will not be tolerated at any level. This will inspire policemen to be more vigilant and accountable in future, so that devotees can celebrate their festivals without any fear and trouble.