File photo of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Delhi's Police Commissioner said today that there is nothing sinister about a proforma of parliamentarians living in Central Delhi, as it is an old and routine procedure that busy police chiefs may not necessarily know about.
BS Bassi, the commissioner, was responding to media reports that quoted his predecessors as saying they are unaware of such a practice. "Delhi police is a very big organization," said Mr Bassi. "A large number of activities take place. There are routine activities, which may or may not come to the notice of the top man," Mr Bassi told reporters outside Parliament.
Mr Bassi said even this proforma, of Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, only came to his notice when it became controversial.
"I am not surprised that my predecessors were not aware of this very elementary routine activity," he said.
A survey through a proforma is an old practice dating back to 1960s that has been revised several times, police said.
"This proforma was revised as early as in 1957, 1987 and then in 1999. So it is a fairly old practice. It is done with the motive of ensuring maintenance of public order and safety and security of important persons in the city," added Mr Bassi.
Two Delhi Police personnel recently visited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's residence with a proforma asking, among other thing, what the colour of Mr Gandhi's eyes are. The incident sparked a row as the Congress party accused the Narendra Modi government of carrying out "political espionage" with their "unwarranted and weird" questions about Mr Gandhi.