If police fail to enforce law, democracy fails, says Doval

Sanjay Yadav
Gurugram, March 5

Crime control is key to a successful democracy, and the responsibility of police officers is not just to maintain law and order, but also creating right perception about their job, said National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval while addressing more than 150 young SPs from across the country at the ‘Young Superintendents of Police Conference’ and Police Expo-2020 here today.

“Be credible and fair. If you fail, democracy also fails,” he said during his lecture, organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) under the Union Home Ministry. He asked the new officers to ensure that the man in ‘khaki’ is seen as fair by a common person.

Doval’s comments assume significance in the wake of the recent riots in northeast Delhi where the role and effectiveness of the police in controlling the violence have been questioned. “In a democracy, it is extremely important to be totally dedicated to the law. You should be doing things fairly and objectively and it is also important that you are seen as credible,” he said.

“Law-making is the most sacrosanct job in a democracy. It is not done by an imperial ruler or from the pulpit of a religious leader but by the representatives of the people and you are the enforcers of that law,” he said.

The theme of the Police Expo was ‘new age solutions for effective & efficient policing’ wherein Doval also released Haryana Police Journal and compendium of equipments of BPR&D.

Manoj Yadava, DGP, Haryana, talked extensively about the national security prowess of the NSA. “Ajit Doval is the last word and authority on the national security matters. He is not only a theorist on national security and but also a practitioner. Technology in policing can be a great asset when police personnel use it in an effective manner,” he said.

FICCI president Dr Sangita Reddy highlighted the importance of security in holistic economic growth. VSK Kaumudi, IPS, DG, BPR&D, said, “It is high time to keep police personnel abreast with technology.”

(With inputs from PTI)