The visual of a 1996-batch IPS officer touching West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's feet has been going viral, and has triggered controversy. Interestingly, he is the same police officer who was in charge of cracking down on Singur protesters about 12 years ago.
Rajiv Mishra, the inspector General, Western Range, of West Bengal police was offered a slice of cake by Banerjee, on the bank of the Bay of Bengal in Digha. Banerjee was having a quiet time with her ministers and officers accompanying her on her recent tour to Digha. She was given cakes to eat and without eating them on her own, she gave the cake to her ministers, local leaders and to Mishra, too.
Surprisingly, Mishra took the cake, suddenly jumped on his feet and touched Banerjee’s feet. Banerjee awkwardly, did not do anything.
Mishra’s behaviour has irked IPS officers across West Bengal, who privately called him “irresponsible”. Said a senior IPS officer: “How can he do such an irresponsible act? He forgot he is on duty and while wearing a uniform.”
This is the first time a senior IPS officer touched the feet of a politician in the state. A few months ago, a railway officer did the same and touched the feet of West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh at Kharagpur.
Ghosh, however, criticised Mishra for his act. “This culture was never part of Bengal. It has been brought from outside,” said Ghosh.
Screengrab of officer Mishra touching Banerjee's feet
In defence of the inident where the railway officer touched his feet, Ghosh said, “I was not the railway minister and the railway staff personally knew me. So he did not do that to gain anything from me. Here it was apparent that the police officer had something to get or something to save.”
Mishra was superintendent of Hooghly district during the Singur agitation. He was put in charge of cracking down on the violent protests that had grabbed national headlines. It was alleged that Mishra used his force to attack the agitators. Mishra's car was attacked during the movement, and there was also an attempt to assassinate him.
Mamata Banerjee then told the police officer that she would bring to justice all who tortured people in Singur and Nandigram, once she became CM.
After his successful stint in Hooghly, Mishra was brought in as the deputy commissioner of Kolkata police in Kolkata port, a place known to be a hub for criminals. He was then promoted as joint commissioner of the Kolkata police before being made Inspector General, Western Region by Banerjee.
Many in the administration felt that Mishra’s act was very improper, particularly at a time when the BJP is gaining foothold rapidly in the state. With BJP threatening all “errant officers” of punishment when they would come to power, Mishra’s act would put the entire IPS cadre in Bengal in a sticky situation.
They can only hope, that if the BJP comes to power in the state in 2021, the leaders would be forgetful and forgiving like Banerjee, as she has been to Mishra.
