Be conscious of the uniform as it is a matter of pride, Rajnath tells policemen

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday admonished  police and paramilitary officials for not being “conscious” about the upkeep of their uniform as he witnessed that a few personnel and officials were present sans their caps and undone shoe laces at an official event.

Delivering his speech at the annual investiture ceremony of the Border Security Force, he said the officials should always be particular about their uniform as it is the symbol of their status (‘rutbaa’) and pride.

The minister said he noticed only a handful of those in uniform were donning their caps when everyone was standing in respect of the BSF song that was being played, just before he awarded gallantry and service medals to the Border Security Force personnel.

The minister went a step further and said he noticed that the shoe laces of an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer, whom he decorated with a medal, were loosely tied and undone.

“You would say that a home minister is concerned about the shoe laces... but since my early days I have liked to see things that are kept neat and tidy and I also keep myself that way,” he said.

You (policemen) should be conscious about the uniform you don, he said.

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Later, after the medal ceremony got over, Singh also interrupted a BSF officer who in his vote of thanks speech said it was “kind” of the minister to have graced the event.

It is not kindness but it is my duty to come here, the minister said.

Singh, during an event of the Civil Services Day in April here, had similarly pulled up bureaucrats and asked them to be punctual after the event got delayed by a few minutes.

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