Country's Home Minister Amit Shah remembered 343 cops who died of COVID-19 on Police Commemoration Day.
Country's Home Minister Amit Shah remembered the 343 police personnel who died of COVID-19 in the line of duty and appreciated the country's police force for being on the frontline of the war against coronavirus.
The Union Home Minister also lauded police personnel for ensuring the country's internal and border security on Police Commemoration Day - observed to pay homage to 10 policemen (of the CRPF) killed in an ambush by Chinese troops in Ladakh's Hot Spring area in 1959.
The government is bringing in technology to make the country's borders "impregnable" and preparations in this regard are being done in detail, Mr Shah said in the backdrop of a continued military stand-off between the armies of India and China in Ladakh since May this year.
The technology and vigilance of our troops will go hand-in-hand and we will be able to better secure our borders, he said.
Mr Shah addressed a joint column of Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CRPF) jawans and officers at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi.
"The work of police is witnessing new challenges and new dimensions in the areas of terrorism, fake currency, narcotics control, cyber crime, arms smuggling, human trafficking. It is a challenge to prepare the police force for these new dimensions that have emerged in the last 2-3 decades," he said.
"We have prepared a comprehensive modernisation programme for the police. I am hopeful that in the coming days the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will prepare the police to meet these challenges," the Minister said.
Police officers are among the Covid Warriors who have been working round-the-clock while risking their own lives to contain the spread of COVID-19 and ensure minimal violation of safety norms amid the pandemic.
Appreciating the police for their service to the nation amid the pandemic, the Home Minister said, "These personnel continued to do their duty to help people, donated blood and plasma (for Covid)... If we are able to celebrate all festivals and sleep at night safely in our homes it is because they are on duty."
Mr Shah also said the government was "going to do many things" to addresses the deficiency in availability of police personnel per one lakh population. He added that "many changes" will soon be visible in the context of police housing and training. My ministry is working on these issues, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted appreciation on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day.
"From preserving law and order to solving horrendous crimes, from assistance in disaster management to fighting COVID-19, our police personnel always give their best without hesitation. We are proud of their diligence and readiness to assist citizens."
A ceremonial guard of honour by a joint squad of the Central Armed Police Forces, CAPFs, was presented during the event attended by Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Arvind Kumar and chiefs of various police forces.
"A total of 35,398 police and CAPF personnel have laid down their lives in the line of duty till now with 264 making the supreme sacrifice over the last year," Director of the Intelligence Bureau Arvind Kumar informed the gathering and read out their names.