A video showing a police officer removing tint from the windscreen of the official vehicle of Kashmir University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi has gone viral on social media.
In the video, a young DSP is seen removing the tint from the vehicle at a check-post in Udhampur area on Srinagar-Jammu highway. A visibly upset VC is heard saying, “You have not gone out of this colonial culture. If escort was with me, you would never dare do so.”
The officer who is still on probation politely responded, “Extremely sorry sir. But I am just performing my duty… We did the same with IG Traffic too.”
But here came the curt reply from the VC. “Tumhari pant geeli ho jayegi.”
For some newspapers in Kashmir, mainly the ones where KU employees reportedly moonlight as journalists, it was time to defend their paymaster. The prevalent anti-government sentiment in restive Kashmir, on the other hand, added to the sympathy wave in support of civil official only to “bully the cop.”
Ignorance of law is no excuse. The policeman is seen enforcing law, working in line with the Supreme Court verdict imposing a blanket ban on use of tint since 2012. But paying no attention to the rules, the pro-VC lobby including some varsity-based unions like KUTA have sought “probe” into the incident against the cop.
What should the probe be about? Should the government probe as to how come the DSP was ensuring that the apex court ruling on ban on tint be enforced? Or, should the government probe as to why VC should not be treated above law?
Despite being an academician who heads the highest chair of learning in Kashmir, Prof Andrabi shamelessly is seen saying unparliamentary words in full public gaze. Students look at teachers to be their role models, is this is the image that he wants to portray to his students?
As per a news report published in a newspaper daily, the “annoyed” VC has picked up the matter with the Governor and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
While the DSP may be pulled up for the case or may be asked to refrain from doing so in future, the fact remains that the VC must actually thank him for more than one reason.
One, the DSP didn’t seize the vehicle. The policeman just did the minimal exercise of power by only removing the tint. He could have otherwise also seized the vehicle and filed a case against the concerned.
Second, if the DSP lodged a complaint of “use of abusive language” against Prof Andrabi, the academician can be booked.
In his defence, the VC is crying conspiracy saying: how come was the video shot? Really sir! You are asking THIS question in the age of smart phones!
And also, if Prof Andrabi thinks he is not at fault, why should the video bother him or his supporters?
