Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi on Thursday, 23 July proposed deploying civil defence personnel — rather than riot police — as the primary contact force during student agitations, arguing the shift would reduce direct confrontations and shield the police from allegations of excessive force. The suggestion comes in the wake of criticism directed at the Delhi Police over its handling of student protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led 'Sansad Chalo' march on 20 July.

What Bedi Proposed

In a self-made video posted on her official X account, Bedi drew an analogy with border security: 'On the same line just as the Border Security Force (BSF) is deployed at the border and the soldier does not come in the first contact. The first contact on the borders is BSF. Similarly, the first contact in a students' agitation should be the civil defence.'

She specified that civil defence personnel could be equipped with cane shields, body armour, and helmets, but would not carry sticks. Riot police, under her proposal, would remain on standby — stepping in only to protect life and property, or if the civil defence line were overwhelmed.

The Rationale Behind the Idea

Bedi emphasised that civil defence units are already present across every state in India, making rapid mobilisation feasible. 'This means we can quickly mobilise, retrain and deploy them for student agitations. This way confrontations with the police force and allegations too can be avoided. A lot of time and energy can be saved,' she said.

In a separate post on X, she noted that civil defence and home guard members are 'recruited, young men and women on the pay rolls' — underscoring that the infrastructure already exists without fresh hiring.

Shifting Accountability to Demonstrators

Bedi argued that placing civil defence as the first point of contact would also recalibrate the burden of responsibility. 'This will place the onus on the student demonstrators to not provoke the coming in of riot police. Armed police come in only for saving life and property and will need a justification,' she said in her second post.

She added that civil defence personnel would effectively serve as witnesses, helping neutralise the cycle of allegations and counter-allegations that typically follows police action at protests. 'The Civil Defence hence becomes the witness. This will avoid allegations and counter allegations,' Bedi reiterated.

Context: Delhi Police Under Scrutiny

The proposal is directly linked to the controversy surrounding the Delhi Police's response to the CJP-led 'Sansad Chalo' march on 20 July, during which the force faced accusations of unleashing 'brutality' on student protesters. The incident drew widespread criticism and reignited the debate over how law enforcement should engage with peaceful or semi-peaceful demonstrations. Bedi, a former top cop herself, concluded the video with a measured qualifier: 'It is an idea worth consideration.'

What Happens Next

Bedi's proposal has no official backing as yet, but it enters an active policy conversation about crowd management and police reform. Whether state governments or the Union Home Ministry take cognisance of the idea remains to be seen. Civil society groups and student organisations are likely to weigh in as the debate around the 20 July crackdown continues to unfold.