Cops operate by rule book, not political pressure: Andhra DGP
His remarks came a day after Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan took a dig at police for their lackadaisical attitude in dealing with crimes.
A day after Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan took a dig at police for their lackadaisical attitude in dealing with crimes in the state, director general of police (DGP) Dwaraka Tirumala Rao on Tuesday said that the state police would go by the law and not operate under political pressure.
Speaking to reporters at Anantapur, the DGP said that the police department will deal with crimes as per the statute based on the principle of justice. “Police operate with the principle of curbing crime and maintaining law and order and they are bound by the Constitution. We do not operate with political correctness or related pressures on our head,” he added.
Refusing to comment on Kalyan’s observations, Rao said that the police department will deal with any case based on concrete evidence and standard procedure. He said that it is true that police must function impartially and transparently, and at present, this is what they are doing.
The DGP, however, admitted that police committed several mistakes during the previous government. “Even when there was an attack on the TDP office, not a single case was filed. The government has done away with the system of identifying fingerprints of criminals and we are examining whether this was done intentionally,” he said.
He also referred to the accusations of an MP being assaulted, but said that the facts on this issue have not yet been clarified.
Regarding the rise in cybercrimes and trolling on social media, the DGP said that there have been a rise in such activities in the recent past and the department is working to control the issue. “We are working within the framework of the law and the Constitution,” he said.
Earlier, state home minister Vangalapudi Anitha said that she would take Kalyan’s remarks about her inept handling of the home department positively. “I have talked to him and got a clarity,” she said.
Speaking at a rally in Pithapuram on Monday, the deputy chief minister made a sharp comment against his cabinet colleague for the rising cases of crimes in the state. He warned that unless there was an improvement in the situation, he would be forced to take over the home department as well.
“I am the panchayati raj minister, and I am telling you, carry out your responsibility as the home minister. If things don’t improve, I may have to assume the role of the home minister myself. Then things would be starkly different,” he said.
However, Anitha said that Kalyan did not say that she has failed as a home minister, adding that his comments were misrepresented. “When I spoke to Kalyan on the phone, he made it clear. He spoke with pain about the things going on in the name of posts on social media,” she said.