Shah pitches for 'just action' by police, says they get defamed for 'no action' or 'extreme action'

LUCKNOW: Police get defamed due to either "no action" or "extreme action", Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday as he laid emphasis on "just action".

"I often say that police get defamed due to two reasons -- one is no action, and the second is extreme action. No action is not right as indolence cannot rectify the law and order system. And extreme is also not correct as it triggers reaction. So, the police should come out of no action and extreme action, and move in the direction of just action," he said.

He was addressing a function after laying the foundation of the UP State Institute of Forensic Sciences here.

Shah said the institute along with the National Forensic Sciences University in Gandhinagar will help the police move ahead in the direction of natural action.

"Today policing is not confined to what was imagined 20 years ago, be it counterfeit notes, narcotics, narco-terror, cyber crime or cow smuggling. The day is not far when every district in UP will have a mobile forensic van, and there will be regional FSLs (forensic sciences laboratories)," he said.

The government will work towards making the utilisation of FSL compulsory for conviction in crimes carrying punishment of more than 6 years, he said.

"Today, the seeds of the UP State Institute of Forensic Sciences have been sown. Once it becomes a banyan tree, a number of children will make their career from here, they will take part in research and will prove to be the backbone of the country''s law and order. When (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji was the chief minister (of Gujarat), he had established the first-of-its-kind forensic sciences university in Gandhinagar. The Government of India has approved Rs 15 crore for establishment of a DNA centre here."

He also said that the institute will prove to be a milestone in terms of police modernisation.

"Though law and order is a state subject, the Centre is taking some initiatives so that the law and order of the country can be strengthened. Many colleges in the country are going to start after taking affiliation from the National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar. By 2024, half of the states in the country will have forensic science colleges," he said.

Highlighting the low rate of conviction in the country, Shah said, "The rate of conviction in the country is very low. In some countries like Israel, it has been taken to 90 per cent. India is lagging behind, and the main reason is lack of professional education."

He said forensic sciences university will help in conviction, leading to punishment. "When there will be punishment...the crime rate will automatically come down," he added.