New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Monday said the police system in the country should be a friend of the people in need.
He also said people who talk of reforms are singled out as those with vested interest try to protect the present system.
“The other day, the Supreme Court Chief Justice said unhappiness starts from the police station,” the vice president said, referring to the remarks of Chief Justice of India N V Ramana that the threat to human rights is the highest in police stations as custodial torture and other police atrocities still prevail in India.
“Police station, police system must be a friend of the people in need. That transformation we have to bring in. It is a state subject … subject is subject. Point is, our aim should be to make people happy because a happy nation can become a wealthy nation,” said the vice president
He said whenever people speak for reforms, they are singled out.
“Vested interest will always protest. They try to protect the present system. Not only triple talaq, taxation reforms, administrative reforms. Any reform, it will really hurt some people,” he said here, releasing a book “Accelerating India: 7 Years of Modi Government” edited by former Union minister K J Alphons.
The vice president said reforms help large sections of the people and give them right opportunities.
Highlighting the importance of inclusivity, Naidu emphasised that the benefits of developmental programmes must reach all segments of society, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised ones.
In this context, he referred to schemes such as Aspirational Districts programme to accelerate development in areas which lagged behind.
He also lauded the government for setting an ambitious target of providing piped water connections to nearly 20 crore households by 2024.
Speaking on the occasion, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said he was asked to contribute an article for the book on a decision taken by the government “to put an end on the obnoxious evil practice of triple talaq”.
He said despite the SC judgement against the practice of triple talaq in August, 2017, it continued.
He recalled that after a woman from his erstwhile constituency faced problems due to triple talaq, he tried his best to help her.
Later, when everything else failed he wrote to the prime minister. Khan said he was not sure about the reaction of the prime minister to his letter in which he had pressed for a law against triple talaq.
“I said if we do not make a law to enforce the judgement of the Supreme Court, then we will be committing the same blunder which was committed in 1986 by reversing the judgement of the Supreme Court through a parliamentary legislation,” he recalled.
He said the government moved ahead and the law ministry contacted him for further details.
He said since the law against the practice of instant triple talaq was passed, there has been an 80 per cent decline in such cases.
Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant spoke about the various initiatives taken by the government.
