After strenuous investigation, the police believe that the potato-bombing, in which the approach roads to government buildings from the Assembly to the chief minister’s residence were strewn with potatoes, was politically motivated (File)
Following an unprecedented manhunt in which the dragnet spread across 10,000 tapped phones, the UP police have apprehended two men who allegedly potato-bombed Lucknow to draw attention to the plight of potato farmers, who are abandoning their crops because the sale price would not cover their investment. Photographs have appeared of pack animals gorging on mountains of potatoes tipped out of cold storages.
They went unmolested, for the potato is the humblest vegetable — even if it changed the world’s culinary traditions and food preferences when it burst out of the New World. But in November, it may be recalled, the Orai police had put eight donkeys behind bars for refreshing themselves on more expensive plants grown by the horticulture department.
Political intervention was required to secure their release. After strenuous investigation, the police believe that the potato-bombing, in which the approach roads to government buildings from the Assembly to the chief minister’s residence were strewn with potatoes, was politically motivated. Well, one of the potato-putters throwing their weight about by the quintal was connected to the Samajwadi Party. But then, so was half of Lucknow, until the party’s fortunes changed.
The Adityanath government is getting a few horse-laughs for setting the police on potato-hurlers but in its heyday, the SP had done much better. At the crack of dawn on a cold winter’s day in 2014, scores of policemen were launched into farms and fields to recover buffaloes stolen from cabinet minister Azam Khan.
Three cops were suspended for dereliction of duty, though the buffaloes were rescued after the top brass of the UP police took command of the investigation. What a fall it is for the force, from the pinnacle of animal husbandry to snooping on people over small potatoes. But with mute patience they have gone yet again, without complaint, into the breach.