india

Updated: Mar 05, 2020 16:07 IST

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Thursday underscored the importance of police officers enforcing the law, asserting that Parliament was the supreme body to enact laws in a democracy but the strength of a democracy lies in enforcing the role of the law.

“If you (cops) can’t implement laws enacted in Parliament, what good are those laws? You are a law enforcement agency,” NSA Ajit Doval told a conference of young superintendent of police organised by Haryana Police, police research body BPR&D and trade body FICCI.

Doval’s statement comes against the backdrop of the communal riots in Delhi where the police leadership was seen to have failed to contain the violence in the initial few days that eventually led to the death of 47 people.

The NSA also called for a change in society’s attitude but asked the police to take the lead. When people burn police vehicles, they are not really destroying police property but of the society.

“There is a perception that the most neglected can’t reach the police and it’s there only to serve a few. That needs to change. Here technologies like drones can help,” he said, according to news agency IANS.

Doval also made a strong pitch for use of technology by the police force to change “perception” about itself so that its “credibility” remains unblemished.

“Technology is a great enabler. When you induct technology, you enhance capabilities,” he said.

But he stressed that adoption of technology should take into account requirements of cutting-edge level police officials rather than following the “catalogue approach” that adopts the available technologies rather than required ones.

Doval also referred to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj illustrate how leadership is essential to identify talent and providing training for realisation of the potential of people as Shivaji had done with Jiva Mallah. “Empowering the last man, take the technology to the last man.”

He also pitched for a “fair” police force that can “integrate technology” to serve the neglected.