'If sacking the police commissioner improves safety for women, do it every day'

New Delhi: The Commissioner of Delhi Police, Neeraj Kumar, has justified the police action on those protesting against the gangrape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in the national capital, saying it was not possible for them to separate protesters from anti-social elements.

Speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, the police commissioner asserted that he was not under any pressure to resign and would continue to work till the government had faith in him.

"If we do only police bashing, it is not going to lead us anywhere...if sacking the police commissioner improves the safety of women, then do it every day," said Neeraj Kumar, as he refused to apologise for the police action against the protesters.

The Delhi Police Commissioner refused to apologise for the police action, saying he was under no pressure to quit.

The Delhi police commissioner also refused to concede if he had expressed regret before Delhi Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna over the Sunday crackdown on protesters.

Pointing that "in a crackdown, there is always collateral damage", Neeraj Kumar hit out at the media, accusing it of fuelling the violence on Sunday, adding that the police had "not mishandled the situation".

"If an innocent person has come to harm, I apologise. I feel sorry for that. But I do not apologise for what the police did there," he further said.

When asked if the people did not have the right to protest, a defiant police commissioner continued to justify his stand, saying, "People do have the right to protest, but they cannot protest in area where section 144 is imposed, they cannot protest in area where preparation is going on for January 26."

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