Following dna’s report on several police stations across Mumbai housing temples and idols of Hindu deities, the office of the commissioner of police (CP), Mumbai, has issued a circular to all police stations in the city asking them at the earliest. This step was taken to ensure that members of minority communities don’t feel intimidated or awkward while approaching policemen at such stations.

The report ‘What’s god doing at the police station?’ published in dna’s edition dated April 2, raised the issue of whether religious paraphernalia dilute the force’s secular credentials.

According to the circular issued on April 4, the commissioner, Satyapal Singh, has directed that the police force should restrain from carrying out religious rituals, like satyanarayan puja, in the station premises. This is mainly because people from minority communities feel awkward to enter the premises.

The circular also states that this practice discourages people from minority communities from approaching the police for any kind of help. The government has time and again said this practice should be discouraged as the law does not permit such a practice to continue, the circular states.

The circular has directed all senior police officers to adhere to directives mentioned in the circular and submit a compliance report to the CP’s office about the action taken by each police station.

The dna report had pictures of police stations including Oshiwara, Versova, Vile Parle and Goregaon.@plumbermushi

@nikhildixit99