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As part of their anti-drug campaign, the Narcotics Department of the Madhya Pradesh Police published a calendar last week, featuring prominent members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
This unprecedented move on the part of the Madhya Pradesh Police drew flak from all quarters, including the Congress, and sparked a debate over the ‘saffronisation’ of the police force.
The Additional Director General of the MP Police (narcotics wing), Varun Kapoor, initiated the launch of a new calendar, as part of the anti-drug campaign, using the tag ‘drug-free society.’
Kapoor also organised several workshops and awareness camps in schools and colleges in Bhopal to promote his cause.
When contacted, the Director General of MP Police said, “I haven’t seen the calendar yet. The matter will be looked into soon.”
Reacting to this move, Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi told The Quint over the telephone:
When criticised, the ADG said:
Commenting on the issue, retired DGP Dandan Dubey, who served from 2012 to 2014 in Madhya Pradesh, said:
Yet another retired IPS officer, former DGP Dinesh Jugran, who served from 2001 to 2005, shared a similar view. He told The Quint over the phone, “I’m not well aware of this new calendar; so, I can’t really comment. But one thing I can say is that the police force being an autonomous institution should avoid publishing such material.”
When contacted, the Madhya Pradesh government’s official spokesperson, Narottam Mishra, was evasive.
However, despite several attempts to reach him after, Mishra did not respond.
Local social activist Ajay Dubey said, “Public money is being wasted just to appease BJP leaders. This is wrong.”
(The writer is a Bhopal-based freelance journalist. He can be reached @MallickKakvi.)
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