Ahmedabad News - Local police issues circular requesting residents to shut windows for security of a Minister, middle aged woman asks whether India is a democracy?

When local police of in Ahmedabad issued instructions to about 300 residents to keep their doors and windows closed for three hours owing to comply with Z Security of Union home minister Amit Shah, Ms Pankti Jog raised a simple and serious doubt, " Do we live in an authoritarian or feudal State and whether Ministers were Kings that the Praja (the citizens) had to live under their diktats and not democratic principles?"

Amit Shah was in Ahmedabad for two days for the inauguration of over ten programs, foundation stone laying services, APMC, aanganwadis and smart classrooms. His inaugurations yesterday included a library, a civic centre, a water distribution projects besides this community hall inauguration at Vejalpur.

After the police "obediently" issued the circular to different societies, chairmen and secretaries of these societies ensured that the request was strictly followed. 44-year-old Pankti, who lives on the third floor of A block, was petrified. She has asthma since childhood and could not afford having no fresh air. So, she went to the Vejalpur police station to inquire whether “we live in a democracy or are Ministers still the Kings”.

However, Police Inspector Odedra of Vejalpur notes that “We requested the residents, we did not force them. The request to keep the doors and windows closed was made so that the slightest movement near the inauguration site could be noticed. The buildings were adjacent to the community hall and that’s why we had to take precautions”.

Pankti, an RTI activist took to Facebook and wrote.

"Everyone has accepted the invisible rule of keeping their doors and windows close when a politician is passing through an area. But there is no such rule in the Z plus security protocol. Today the Government will tell me to keep my windows closed. Why should the Government decide this? Today it is windows, tomorrow this government will decide what I eat and where I go”, she asked.

One may ask questions or prefer not to, Ms Pankti Jog has raised valid concerns on the status of democracy in the country.

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