I’m ashamed I was in the IPS, says supercop Ribeiro

Reacting to the recent transfer of some police officers who had checked the spread of violence in their areas, Ribeiro said: ‘‘This is negation of law. The power of transfers is being misused and will demoralise young officers.’’

As far as the saffron brigade goes, he has coined a new word for them: Pseudo-patriots. Addressing a gathering of businessmen, he said the VHP and Bajrang Dal call themselves patriots and have coined a new word for others pseudo-secularists.

Later at his hotel, Ribeiro said what’s going on in the city is ‘‘a massacre, not riots.’’ ‘‘It will not stop till the government tries to stem it. The government is not willing because many of its party workers or close associates are involved,’’ he said.

Ribeiro, who was appointed city police commissioner during the 1985 communal riots by none other than then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, recollected the days of his tenure. ‘‘I asked the government for a free hand to deal with the guilty. Within a week, the riots had died down as rioters were behind bars.’’

‘‘There has to be a political will to stop the violence. Then, the police should stop looking to politicians for orders. And all the instigators have to be put behind bars. I did it during the 1984 Mumbai riots. Shakha pramukhs of 120 Shiv Sena shakhas were rounded up in a day and put behind bars. The next day, the riots stopped.’’

Ribeiro also met social workers to start mohalla peace committees. ‘‘Mohalla peace committees can do wonders. But no politician should be a worker. Only then will it yield results,’’ he said.