Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the police to accord top priority to ensuring law and order in the current situation where “new forms of crimes are emerging out of malice against the government.”
Speaking on the occasion of the Police Commemoration Day here on Thursday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said technology and societal changes only increased the responsibilities of the police.
“The police are dealing with various crimes – from white-collar to cyber. Crime is taking new forms,” the Chief Minister observed.
Indirectly referring to the TDP, the main opposition party, the Chief Minister said, “We have been witnessing a new form of crime in the State in the last more than two years. We have seen what these people are up to. Just because they couldn’t win (elections), they vandalised idols and burnt chariots in temples. They created conflicts between castes. They are not hesitant to create conflicts between religions. They moved courts and stopped the construction of houses for the poor. They even opposed English medium education to the poor students.”
‘Is it right to abuse CM?’
“Their TV channels and newspapers are filled with debates and stories that are full of lies. They even abused the Chief Minister, a constitutionally elected person, referring to his mother. Is it right to do such things? Is it right to abuse the Chief Minister in such a way? By doing so, they want the Chief Minister’s followers to retaliate and cause disturbance to law and order in the State and, in turn, derive political mileage out of it,” Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
‘False propaganda’
“Realising that they are not in a position to win any election, they have resorted to tarnishing the image of Andhra Pradesh by calling it Drugs A.P.,” the Chief Minister said.
Continuing his tirade, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “They are not only targeting the government but also the people. They are making an evil attempt to show our children as drug addicts to the world. Though the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, and the DGP clarified on the issue (State’s links to heroin smuggling), they continue their propaganda to tarnish the image of the State and spoil the future of its children.”
In such a situation, law and order should be given top priority and everyone should be treated equally before the law, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy observed.
“Atrocities against women, children, senior citizens, BCs should not be neglected, and the accused should be brought to book,” he said, and added that terrorism, anti-social elements and their activities should not be tolerated.
Speaking about the sacrifices of the police personnel, the Chief Minister said 11 policemen had died in the State last year in the line of duty.
“To all those martyrs and their families on behalf of me and the State, I express my solidarity,” Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
‘Weekly off’ for police
“To ensure that the police get some rest and enable them to spend time with their families, the government introduced the weekly off system for them. No other State has taken the initiative. Due to COVID-19 we are unable to implement it, but we are resuming it from today,” Mr. Reddy added.
He also said the government increased the ex gratia to the kin of those who succumbed to COVID-19 to ₹10 lakh and that compassionate ground appointments would be completed by November 30.
