Do not judge policy: President tells police brass

President Pranab Mukherjee has told top police brass of the country that it would be inappropriate on part of investigative agencies "to sit in judgement over policy formulation".

This was the point also articulated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram during a Central Bureau of Investigation event recently.

Senior police officers in the ranks of director general and inspector general on Saturday called upon the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan as they had assembled here to participate in a three-day conference.

"Everything must be done to prevent corruption and ensure accountability and probity in public life. But it would be inappropriate for police agencies to sit in judgement over policy formulation," the President was quoted as saying by the Rashtrapti Bhavan on Sunday.

Mukherjee, who spoke on a number of issues which pose a regular challenge to day-to-day policing, said district and local administration "must notice communal tensions in their initial stages and take necessary measures to contain them quickly."

"The President said the police forces must strengthen external and internal communication to deal with the worrying increase in communal tensions. Communication with people has to be maintained and at the same time, communication within the organisation, right down to the beat level, must be improved," he was quoted as saying.

He also said that leaders and top commanders of security forces "must provide good and able leadership through their actions and values."

The President also said police officers must ensure that grievances of the common man are redressed. "They must in partnership with other stake holders create a peaceful and secure atmosphere conducive to the growth and prosperity of our nation," Mukherjee told the DGPs and IGPs.

Expressing disappointment that the police sometimes fail to win adequate confidence in all sections of society, the President said, "The Rule of Law, which is a cardinal principle on which a modern state rests, must be strictly enforced in a prompt, fair and equitable manner." 

The President said with growing urbanisation, dimensions of crime have increased.

"The worst sufferers of this malady are women and children. Violence against these vulnerable groups of our population has to be dealt firmly. Effective policing of our urban areas, especially metropolitan cities, must be attended to with urgency," he said.

The President said, "There is need to ensure that affirmative police action is taken in respect of marginalised sections of society."

He said police in our country face varied security challenges and have constraints of manpower and logistics. "Despite these challenges, our police forces have acquitted themselves well and attained significant success in addressing the challenges which confront us. Senior police officers must in particular take care of the welfare of the constabulary and their families," he said.

He also complimented the police forces for their commitment, dedication and service to the nation and paid homage to those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the cause of the nation and to those who have suffered injuries while carrying out their duties.

He asked the officers to transform the police system and bring it in tune with the requirements of a modern democratic nation.