Netizens decry cops’ practice of taking video at protest sites

“If law enforcement officials find it (taking videos and pictures of people at public places) okay, I really fear for our already compromised privacy,” said one social media user on Twitter. 

Even while the Twitteratti kept debating its pros and cons, with some sympathising with Chennai police “who are doing their duty” and others pointing out that clicking women’s pictures is neither legal nor moral, a senior officer attached to the city police noted that it was not a regular practice and that pictures are being taken only near the CAA protest venues.

“It is more like a fence eating the crop. ‘Peaceful gathering’ is a fundamental right. Police are expected to protect the rights of the people they serve, not break their rights,” opined lawyer-activist Sudha Ramalingam.

The police officer, however, explained: “When we keep a vigil on protestors, we need to keep an eye on them so as to know with whom we are dealing with. 

Sometimes these protesters gather at certain points without obtaining proper permission. Sometimes we may not be in a position to assign official videographers to such venues. In such cases, the local police teams will have to take photos and videos on their phones,” the official explained.

He also said such measures are taken only in unusual situations. “Many of them (CAA protesters) refuse to divulge their identities. Sometimes they claim they are students, but will not have any credentials to support it. The possibilities of such protest – where there is no leader – turning violent are very high,” the officer pointed out.

“Of course, police can come here if there is a problem. Their colonial mindset of suppression is yet to reform,” said Sudha Ramalingam.