Agra: Following the declaration of the town of Vrindavan as an official "holy pilgrimage site" by the Uttar Pradesh government , police in Mathura may soon be given new uniforms with logos on shoulder badges that have the image of Krishna . The logos will also feature the words ‘Tourism Police’. The cops will be wearing their usual rank insignia as well.“The purpose behind the logos is to make UP Police more tourist-friendly,” said Mathura senior superintendent of police (SSP) Swapnil Mangain. This, some in the department said, has come after the UP Police was severely criticised for the assault on a Swiss couple in Fatehpur Sikri by some local youths and minors.Although the police department, like other organs of the state, in accordance with the secular ideals of the Constitution, is not supposed to carry or display images of religious icons, gods or holy symbols, a proposal has been made to issue these logos, which will be stitched on the new uniforms and will be prominently displayed. The proposal is with the office of the director-general of police (DGP), though the logo that has been designed and selected seems to be final.Many see this logo as part of the “saffronisation” agenda of the UP government, which incidentally is also on a spree to paint the state capital and government buildings across the state in saffron.Talking to TOI, former DGP Brij Lal said, “Such logos should not be allowed as they can dent the secular image of the police.”National spokesperson of Congress, Vivek Bansal said, “India being a secular nation, the government should not patronize and propagate any religion. Vrindavan tourism doesn’t cater only to Hindus, as people of all faiths visit the city. The logo will be a violation of the Constitution.”Haji Jamiluddin Qureshi, president of Agra city unit of Congress, added that such a logo was objectionable. “It doesn’t suit the police. People’s faith in police will be lost. This is against the Constitution. This is a secular country and the picture of a particular religion’s god on the uniform proves that there is a political agenda behind the move,” he added.However, a senior BJP leader, who requested anonymity on the plea that he doesn’t want to get involved in any “controversy”, said that there was nothing wrong with the logo carrying the picture of Krishna. “Everyone knows Mathura and Vrindavan are revered as Krishna’s birthplace and are associated with him, so what is wrong with the logos having the picture of the Lord?” he asked, dubbing the voices of criticism as that of “sickulars”.SSP Mangain said, “Just as Agra is famous for Taj Mahal , Mathura has the Banke Bihari (another name of Krishna) temple, and these logos will provide a distinctive identity to the police. Personnel who are well-versed in English will be deputed in Vrindavan to assist foreign tourists. The process of identifying and interviewing such personnel is on and they should be deputed by the end of December.”The officer added: “We have also sent a proposal for nine new outposts and a new police station for tourists and this is in line with what is prevalent in Agra. The idea behind this is to serve tourists more efficiently.”