Agra: IPS officer transferred for shutting down RSS shakha, Yogi’s hand suspected

The people who had raised a hue-and-cry over the transfer of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal during the previous regime are now silent. An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, who had shut down an Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) shakha being held on a disputed land, has been transferred by the government following complaints from BJP MLAs.

In Tajganj area of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, there prevails a tension between the two communities, with each claiming ownership of a particular plot of land. Six months ago, the permission to hold Urs celebrations on this plot was not granted. This land lies close to a mazaar. Police forces have been deputed here since.

A month ago, RSS activists started holding shakhas here. Tension between the two communities started to get worse since. Last week on Wednesday, police prohibited the shakha from going ahead, saying the matter of ownership of the land was subjudice. The decision was taken by the local police station incharge, Rajkumar Yadav.

Immediately after that, the BJP MLAs reached the plot and started a dharna against the police. They went to the kotwal, Shailendra Singh, to register their complaint but he also supported his police station in charge. Later, SP (city) Kunwar Anupam Singh, supported the police action and praised the forces for being impartial in establishing law and order.

After the episode, Agra has been on tenterhooks. On the evening of June 18, RSS workers held a shakha in Pawandham Colony, which was attended by 68 swayamsewaks. According to the head of publicity department of the RSS, “The local police station incharge threw away the saffron flag  and said that we are grooming terrorists here. Such insult did not take place even during the SP, BSP or Congress regimes.”

According to Congress’ local president, Haji Jamiluddin, “Some anti-social elements have been trying to occupy the land of the dargah of Kareel wale Baba. The police force have been deputed here for six months. First the Urs programme, and then RSS shakha was stopped here by the administration. After that, all the three police officials were removed for taking impartial action.”

Before this, the MLA from south Agra, Yogendra Upadhyay, and Sikri MLA Udaybhan Singh met the chief minister on this issue. After the meeting, they blamed SP (city) Kunwar Anupam Singh for supporting the local police.

It is important to note that RSS workers have started holding shakhas here only recently. After the meeting of MLAs with the chief minister, the order for removing the SP (city) was issued from Lucknow.

Young Kunwar Anupam Singh has a reputation of being a strict, honest and an impartial police officer.

The leader of Samajwadi Party in Agra, Nadeem Mansoori, said that it was a matter of repressing the morale of the police officers who are impartial and honest. According to ADGP, Agra, Ajay Anand, transfer is part of normal police functioning. “It can’t be seen in context of a particular incident,” he said.

Sources say that RSS is still holding shakhas on that disputed land under tight security cover.

(Translated into English by Pragati Saxena).