New Delhi:
A policeman was caught on camera slapping a young woman in a Ghaziabad police station near Delhi last night. The police allege that the woman and her male friend were found drinking in a parked car. Here are the big reactions to the controversy:
Kiran Bedi, activist and former IPS officer: There is nothing wrong in drinking per se. Drinking in a car, at a public place is wrong; whether it's two girls, two boys, one boy and one girl. It doesn't matter if it's a girl or a boy. Secondly, the way police dealt with this case is doubly wrong. They have no business to slap around. They can just call the women police and book the girl. Don't just focus on the police wrongs. There are two wrongs. I am focussing on both wrongs. I think both are shameful. Why are people not aware of the wrong. As a citizen of the country and as a former police officer, I am focussing on prevention and correction, I want better social behaviour. I don't want people to be drinking in public places. If they want to drink, girl or boy, drink at a safe place. There are two wrongs - and the media must project a social wrong and a police wrong. Both wrongs need to be dealt differently. The boy and the girl need to be booked by the law and the police officer will have to be booked by departmental action.
Barkha Singh, Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women: If police is taking strong steps to bring improvement, we must not critisise it. We should be strict with our children. And if that girl was drunk and to make her understand, police has taken some steps then I don't think that it is wrong.
Mamta Sharma, Chairman, National Council for Women: The girl may not have been drunk. And even if she was, it's not the duty of the police to beat her. They could have waited till she got sober. They could have taken her to the doctor. But now that she was beaten, the Uttar Pradesh government should take some action.
Annie Raja, General Secretary, National Federation for Indian Women: Any implementing agency, which includes the police, does not do its duty, action can be taken against them. But how many policemen are aware of this.
Arun Kumar, ADG, Law and Order, Uttar Pradesh: The boy and girl were found in an objectionable position in a car. The people in the area took them to the police. The couple misbehaved with the police. We have filed a case under sections 160 and 294 and for drunken driving.