'Safer Option To Deal With Student Rioters': Former IPS Kiran Bedi's Suggestion To Centre Amid CJP Protest

New Delhi: Former IPS officer and former Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has weighed in on the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest, suggesting an alternative approach to handling student-led demonstrations that, she said, could reduce direct confrontations between protesters and the police.

In a post on X, Bedi proposed that trained Civil Defence personnel should serve as the first line of response during student agitations, with riot police deployed only as a backup in case the situation escalates beyond the Civil Defence's control.

"Here is a safer option to deal with student rioters. Governments can examine and consider this option," she wrote.

Drawing a comparison with the country's border security framework, Bedi said the arrangement would be similar to the Border Security Force (BSF) acting as the first line before the Army is engaged.

She suggested that riot police remain at a distance, monitoring the situation and stepping in only if Civil Defence personnel are overrun or face a threat to life and property.

Role for Civil Defence

Bedi noted that every state already has Civil Defence and Home Guard departments with trained young men and women on the payroll, who could be retrained for crowd management duties. She proposed equipping them with cane shields, body armour and helmets for protection against stone-pelting, while avoiding the use of batons.

According to Bedi, such a model would reduce the chances of an immediate face-off between students and riot police, placing the responsibility on demonstrators to ensure protests remain peaceful. She added that armed police intervention should be limited to situations where there is a clear justification to protect lives and property.

Proposal for future protests

Bedi also argued that Civil Defence personnel could act as neutral witnesses during protests, helping minimise allegations and counter-allegations over the handling of demonstrations. She suggested that governments examine the proposal and consider experimenting with the model in future student protests.