It’s not official, but the threatened “mass leave” protest on Saturday by some 50,000 constables and other lower ranks of the police force may have just been called off.
It’s not official, but the threatened “mass leave” protest on Saturday by some 50,000 constables and other lower ranks of the police force may have just been called off.
On Friday, policemen from the ranks of constables upto the ranks of ACP/deputy superintendent of police were ordered to sign an undertaking that they would not participate in the proposed protest.
“We were all ordered to sign the undertaking. Senior officers threatened disciplinary action against those who refused to. We had no option but to sign,” one policeman told this newspaper.
Senior officers have also asked all policemen to be present at work on Saturday by 8 am in uniform.
“Even those in non-executive postings like CID, intelligence and internal security division have been directed to come in uniform”, an official said.
And for good measure, even family members of policemen have been warned against taking part in any protest.
Lower rung policemen, however, said the “mass leave” threat had some effect.
“We have been browbeaten, but we have been assured that we will at least get compulsory weekly offs and better residential quarters”, they said.
