Religious minorities, women, poor should be protected: Rajnath Singh

NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asked Delhi Police to ensure the security of vulnerable sections of the society including religious minorities, women, poor and people belonging to the north-eastern region of the country.

On the security of minorities, the Home Minister assured that the Centre and Delhi Police will extend full cooperation to ensure security of the minorities and their religious institutions.

Appreciating the force's efforts for ensuring the safety of women in the national capital, he said that it was not just the people of Delhi, but even the Prime Minister who gets worried whenever there was a crime against any woman here.

However, he reminded the police that more has to be done on this front.

He also lauded Delhi Police's Himmat app, which was launched by him a couple of weeks ago, terming it an "effective application to provide security to women" in the national capital.

Singh however reminded the Delhi Police Commissioner that the app, which is currently available only on android phones, should soon be made available on iOS, Windows and other platforms as well.

The Union Home Minister, who was speaking at the 68th Raising Day parade of the Delhi Police here, also made it a point to mention that the people from the Northeast region should not feel alienated in the national capital.

"We are pained when something happens to them anywhere in the country. I would like to say that if anybody practises discrimination against them, strict action would be taken," he said.

Singh also advised Delhi Police to give protection to the poor people and said the force "should be sensitive to the right to livelihood of street vendors, rickshaw pullers and small traders and strive to win their blessings".

He said that police should take "dua" (blessings) from the poor and give "dawa" (succour) by dealing strictly with criminal elements.

"If you give the 'dawa' for criminal elements, the general public will give you 'dua'," he said.

Talking about the Special Investigation Team recently set up by the Centre to probe the 1984 riots cases, he said that he was confident that justice would now be done to the victims and their families.