Assam would undergo a Restructuring of its Police System in the state Capital of Guwahati in an attempt to tackle the growing count of crime against Women in the city. Soon, there would be a Commissioner of Police to deal with these issues, according to CM Tarun Gogoi.
Talking to media persons outside the assembly, Gogoi said that he has signed a proposal to expedite the process of appointment of a commissioner of police for the city.
“The crime, particularly crime against women, has been increasing. However, Guwahati is fast developing into a metropolitan city and so the crime rate is bound to increase. Not only in Assam, crime rate has been increasing in Kerala too, according to the reports of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB),” he said, adding that the appointment of a police commissioner will help deal with the situation.
Expressing his concern about the GS Road molestation case of July 9, he said: “I am worried about the image of Assam. I admit that there had been an untoward incident on July 9. I take full responsibility for it. But that does not reflect the whole of Assamese society.”
“Assamese society is highly civilized and cultured one. I am worried that some of the media have been trying to project Assam in a way so that Assamese people are looked down upon. This is not good,” Gogoi said.
“However, the incident has also started a debate about the role of media in such a situation. This is a good sign. I do not mind the reporter photographing the incident but he should have informed the police also simultaneously,” he said, adding that the government has taken serious note of the incident, including the alleged role of the journalist into the incident.
The chief minister also raised question about the move of the editor-in-chief of the News Live to upload the video on YouTube. “You think whether it is ethical to upload such video on YouTube, which has projected the state in negative light across the world,” he said.
Earlier on the day, the channel’s editor-in-chief Atanu Bhuyan resigned from his position apprehending pressure from the government on the management of the news channel to sack him.
Gogoi denied any pressure on the channel.
“Why should I pressurise the management of the news channel? I have never put any pressure on anyone all these years. But there must be an inquiry and I have only ordered inquiry into the allegation of the journalist’s role into the incident. The editor-in-chief must have the courage to face inquiry,” he said.