A day after the snap protest by the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) personnel extending support to their chief P. Ravindranath, who has now been transferred, senior officials on Thursday chalked out a strategy to prevent them from continuing the protest by deploying all the 1,200 KSRP personnel on various duties.
The decision was taken after hundreds of KSRP personnel and their family members staged a protest in Koramangala blocking traffic for more than eight hours on Wednesday.
Even as the city police were deployed to monitor law and order at the parade grounds, all the KSRP personnel were instructed to wear uniforms compulsorily and attend duty without fail.
The KSRP personnel, who had no option but to fall in line, were seen performing security duty inside the parade ground.
“This move is not only to keep them busy but also prevent them from indulging in protest. It will also help us identify those who protest and take necessary action against them,” a senior police officer said.
Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements were made by the city police at the parade grounds with the deployment of 300 police personnel to monitor the law and order situation. Three Deputy Commissioners have been deputed to supervise the situation. Four battalions of KSRP are stationed in the city — one each at Richmond Town and Koodlu and two at Koramangala. The Deputy Commandants of these battalions have warned their platoons to refrain from indulging in any form of protest failing which action would taken against them.
Warning
Home Minister K.J. George has warned that action will be taken against those KSRP personnel who indulge in protest.
Terming the events of Wednesday as unfortunate, Mr. George said that the police who are supposed to maintain law and order have involved themselves in violence causing inconvenience to the general public by blocking traffic.
“Such incidents would be dealt with seriously,” he said. Referring to the snap protest on Wednesday at the Koramangala KSRP parade grounds, Mr. George said that local mischief mongers joined the protest. The police have identified them and action will be taken against them, he said.
Mr. George said that Dr. Ravindranath came to him with a request that he be arrested and that his resignation be accepted.
“He is a good officer and I have asked him remain calm. I told him that the Chief Minister was the competent authority to take a decision in the matter,” Minister George said.
