Cops have rights but must eschew protests: Paatil

Ahmedabad: State BJP president C R Paatil expressed support for the rights of police personnel but counselled them not to resort to protests to secure those rights. He was speaking at ‘Pahel’, a day-long attitudinal training seminar for Ahmedabad Police personnel. The topics covered included stress management, rules and regulations, and interactions with the public.The event was inaugurated by chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday.
The Area Adoption Scheme under which police and civilians will jointly tackle pressing traffic issues was also launched on Monday. The scheme will be introduced in a phased manner across Ahmedabad. Having served in the police force in the 1980s, Paatil said police should have rights such as leaves and fixed working hours, a life with dignity, and good housing. He said that police should work in eight-hour shifts.
“They work tirelessly and even sacrifice festival celebrations with their families,” he said. “Because of a small section of the police force, especially traffic police and their lethargy and inefficient services, the entire police force gets a bad name.”
Paatil, however, was not in favour of police personnel joining any protest or agitation. “You are joining a force and so you are expected to be highly disciplined,” he said. “If police personnel start protests and agitations, what difference will remain between a labour union and the force?” Paatil appeared to be referring to the recent agitation launched by some police personnel over pay grades.
Ahmedabad Police commissioner Sanjay Srivastava said specialists in various fields such as psychiatrists and lawyers will train about 15,000 police personnel over the next three months.
Felicitating people who have been active in traffic management in Ahmedabad city, the CM said the initiatives of Pahel and Area Adoption Scheme will help in establishing friendly and mutually respectful relations between police and citizens. The strictness of police in enforcing rules and regulations is commendable because it is for the well-being of society, he said.