Madhya Pradesh DGP's order directing cops to salute MP, MLAs draws censure from both Congress & BJP
Until now, official government circulars—traditionally issued in Hindi—simply used the term 'abhivadan' (greetings), without specifying its form.
The directive, issued in Hindi, says, 'Maneniye sansdiye sadasya aur vidhayako ke shashkiya karyakram evum samanya bhet ke dauran unka abhivadan vardhidhari/ karamchari salute ke madhyam se kare. (Respected Member of Parliaments and Members of the Legislative Assembly are to be greeted by uniformed police officers and policemen with a salute).'
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana has issued a directive instructing all uniformed police personnel to 'salute' elected representatives irrespective of whether the meeting is formal or casual. This marks the first time the MP Police has explicitly prescribed how police officers are to greet elected officials.
This allowed for a broad range of acceptable gestures, from a polite standing acknowledgement to a namaste. The absence of a rigid definition meant officers exercised discretion based on the occasion and individual practice.
'There is no equivalent for the word 'saluting' in Hindi, which is why 'abhivadan' has always been used,' a senior police officer in Madhya Pradesh explained.
Many police personnel are now grappling with whether this shift implies a mandatory salute, typically reserved for seniors within the police or armed forces, being extended to civilian elected representatives.
The directive, issued on 24 April, further went on to instruct the personnel to send a signed and timely response to letters sent by elected representatives. It also instructed the police officers to give 'utmost priority' to elected representatives when they visit them in their office, to respond 'promptly' and 'politely' to their calls and do the needful when it comes to their concerns regarding public welfare.
The modification of the general directive comes after DGP Makwana received a complaint from state tribal affairs department minister and BJP leader Kunwar Vijay Shah. In the complaint, seen by ThePrint, he pointed out two different occasions on which an additional superintendent of police, along with other police personnel in Khandwa district, did not salute him.
Makwana marked the complaint to Dinesh Chandra Sagar, the additional director general of police (complaint and human rights), to look into the matter.
DC Sagar, an IPS officer of the 1992 batch, went on to define the manner of greeting and instructed that uniformed police officers salute elected representatives.
The notesheet put up by Sagar was approved by the DGP office without changes, leading to the issuing of a general directive.
Politics over the circular
As the circular came to light, the Congress party was the first to oppose it.
On Saturday, state Congress President Jitendra Patwari, in a statement, said, 'If the law and order of the state will improve with the police saluting the MPs and MLAs then the decision of Mohan Yadav government is right. If not, then this decision is an insult to the uniform.'
'The public representatives change so as the government, but the police remain the same. There is a way to show respect to elected representatives and it is by listening to what they say in the Vidhan Sabha and not by making the police salute them.'
Patwari demanded that the directive be rolled back.
The BJP also opposed it. In a statement to media, BJP state president V.D. Sharma said Sunday, 'Respect can't be earned through directives. MPs and MLAs earn respect based on their work and character.'
Weighing in on the newly issued order, former DGP Vivek Johri said, 'There is nothing technically wrong with the directive. Saluting is the only one way of greeting by a policeman while being in uniform. The only way to greet a senior or respond to the greeting of a junior is by saluting.'
The issue also came up for discussion during a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Mohan Yadav Saturday at the police headquarters. Yadav said that even though he was never saluted while being an elected representative, the issue drew unnecessary attention from other important law and order matters.
A senior police officer told ThePrint Monday, 'The hesitation expressed by police officers in accepting the order also is a comment on how poorly we think of our elected representatives.'
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: How IAS & IPS officers in Madhya Pradesh are paying the price for sticking to law
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