Growing incidents of mob violence on the streets in many parts of the country is a matter of serious concern. What is disturbing is inaction of the police force that looks on when violent mobs lynch and kill innocent people on mere suspicion. The lynching of six innocent people in Jharkhand on the mere suspicion that they were child lifters is shocking. Equally disturbing are reports of rising incidents of attack on the police in different parts of the country.

In Jharkhand, there was no complaint or any FIR of missing children. Yet, some people spread rumours and lynched innocent people alleging they were child lifters. This happened in Singhbhum district. The victims belonged to both communities, Hindu and Muslim.

With people in rural and semiurban areas having access to Whatsapp and other services in social media, it is easy to spread rumours with criminal intent. It is said that a Whatsapp group spread this rumour by sending messages that child lifters were active in the area. They mobilised young people and went on the rampage attacking innocent men and women on the streets resulting in the death of at least six people.

The Jharkhand Police has taken action and arrested some people. According to a senior Police officer of the state, the police has ordered all groups on Whatsapp to include the local police station officer in the group so that the police is aware of the messages in circulation in the disturbed areas of the state. This would help police to identify trouble makers who seek to create panic and provoke violence.

Hardly 180 kilometers away from the national capital of Delhi, Saharanpur witnessed ugly violence in the name of caste. Houses were burnt and ransacked, some people died and there was violence on the streets and mohallas of Saharanpur. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took prompt action by suspending some officials including the Superintendent of Police and transferred other officials found guilty of dereliction of duty. The violence continued for more than a week. It was Dalits and the upper caste Rajputs who clashed in the district.

In Shabirpur village under Badgaon police station, a violent clash took place between Dalits and Rajputs. The police station was also attacked and torched. More than 20 vehicles were set on fire. It started on May 5.

In the Kashmir valley, school children, young and middle-aged men and women are pelting stones at police, paramilitary and army. The Kashmir situation is different. But rising incidents of attacks on the police in the rest of the country is a matter of serious concern.

In Delhi, there have incidents when people have been killed over small and petty quarrels like parking disputes and minor accidents. Someone riding a motor cycle brushed a car on the Delhi road. The car owner opened fire and killed the man who had hit his car.

In Jharkhand, when police reached a place of occurrence in Jamshedpur, the mob attacked the police party. Irate people tore the uniform of an officer. Fear of uniform appears to be receding. Criminals don’t fear police these days. The question is why is it happening. The answer lies in the system.

In most cases there is a nexus of police, criminals and politicians. There are instances when even Ministers give protection to hardened criminals and at times Ministers protect corrupt and criminal elements in the police force. In both situations, people see the nefarious run of the administration. Criminals see how the police are not only corrupt but weak before the rulers. This gives the criminals and murderers a sense of fearlessness.

According to a National Crime Records Bureau in 2015 some 731 Policemen were killed on duty. Maximum number of policemen killed (431) were from Uttar Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra (95) and Punjab (82).

In Patna, some time back, police stopped a junior doctor who was driving a two-wheeler without helmet. The junior doctor and his fellow doctors beat up the policeman for doing his duty. In Delhi too there have been instances when policemen were run over by speeding car drivers who were asked to stop at police barricades at night.

Only tough action against the criminals, speedy investigation and trial of offenders and a check on politicians giving patronage to criminals and corrupt police force can restore the rule of law in the | country.

The writer is a BJP Member of the Rajya Sabha.