By IANS,
New Delhi : Warning policemen against high-handedness, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said the law and order situation in the country was “under strain” due to terrorism, Maoism, regionalism and communalism.
“Fundamentally, the law and order situation in our country today is under strain,” Manmohan Singh told probationers of the Indian Police Service who went to meet him at the Prime Minister’s House here.
“There are a number of sources of this strain, there is terrorism, there is naxalism – Left-wing extremism, there is also regionalism and then communalism,” Manmohan Singh said.
While asking policemen to ensure that these forces do not harm the unity and integrity of the country, the prime minister cautioned them to discharge their responsibilities within the bounds of the Indian constitution and law.
“Our state guarantees certain fundamental rights. In administration of justice, one increasingly hears complaints of high handedness of officials, sometimes they happen to be police officials,” he said.
The prime minister advised them that while discharging their duty, “the enforcement of law and order must be endowed with the spirit that is consistent with what is stated in the constitution of India.”
Underlining the importance of law and order for sustained development of the country, the prime minister asked budding police officers to be well versed in handling new challenges like cyber crimes and disaster management.