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Pune police to ban protests outside party offices, leaders’ homes: CP Amitesh Kumar
The decision comes in the wake of a clash between workers of the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party near Congress Bhavan, which escalated into stone-pelting and left several people injured, including police personnel and media persons on duty.
PUNE: Pune Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Monday described the recent political violence in the city as “highly unfortunate” and said the police will no longer grant permission for protests outside political party offices or the residences of political leaders.
The decision comes in the wake of a clash between workers of the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party near Congress Bhavan, which escalated into stone-pelting and left several people injured, including police personnel and media persons on duty.
Addressing reporters, Kumar said the police acted swiftly to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.
“The incident was extremely unfortunate. As the situation deteriorated and stone-pelting began, the police intervened immediately and brought it under control,” he said.
The commissioner clarified that there were no prior intelligence inputs suggesting that the protest would turn violent. “There was no specific information indicating the possibility of stone-pelting or violence. If such inputs had been available, permission for the protest would not have been granted,” he said.
Kumar said legal action has been initiated against workers from both parties. Cases have been registered on the basis of complaints received by the police, and further action will depend on the outcome of the investigation. “Whoever is found guilty will face strict action as per law,” he said.
Responding to questions on why no offence had been registered against the mayor, Kumar said police action was guided strictly by the complaints submitted. “An FIR has been registered based on the complaint received by us. If the investigation reveals the involvement of others, action will be taken accordingly,” he said.
Explaining why permission was initially granted for the protest near Congress Bhavan, the commissioner reiterated that there was no indication of potential violence at the time. However, he said the police would now exercise greater caution. “To prevent such incidents in the future, protests outside party offices and leaders’ residences will not be permitted,” he said.
Rejecting allegations levelled by Congress leaders against the police, Kumar said officers acted strictly as per law and established procedures. “There is no factual basis to these allegations. Police action was taken according to rules,” he said, adding that maintaining public order and peace in the city remains the police’s top priority.
