New Delhi:
Delhiites should seize the opportunity provided by the Commonwealth Games and mend their ways to present the capital as an international city, Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday.
"It's not enough to just revamp the city, it's time to change attitudes as well. We should seize the opportunity of the Commonwealth Games to change our behavioural pattern. We must behave as (residents of) an international city," he said in New Delhi after inaugurating a police station.
Observing that people in the city often do not obey traffic rules, he said the national capital needs to change its mindset.
"People should change their behaviour. We have noticed over many years that the behaviour of people has not changed. Vehicles are jumping red lights, even police vehicles are jumping red lights."
"Some are moving (in their vehicles) without having registration plates, some are crossing roads where they should not. People are not using overground or underground passes. We want to encourage people to change their mindset," he said.
The Home Minister also said that patrolling by helicopters during special occasions like the forthcoming Commonwealth Games may soon become a part of the security drill in the national capital.
The day is "not far off" when helicopters will patrol Delhi skies during special occasions, he told reporters.
Chidambaram also reminded policemen that there should be no reason why the capital's residents should feel unsafe.
His comments came after Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said at the function that her government was starting a campaign to change the way the society behaves so that it becomes more caring and also sharing.
(With PTI inputs)