Yogi’s anti-Romeo squads rebranded Nari Suraksha Bal
SOME COPS SAID THERE WAS A FEELING THAT THE ANTIROMEO SQUADS MAY HAVE BEEN ATTRACTING NEGATIVE PUBLICITY DUE TO THEIR “WRONG BRANDING”
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh’s much hyped ‘anti-romeo’ police squads have been rebranded.
In its ‘new, refined avatar,’ the squad will now be known as ‘Naari Suraksha Bal’ or women protection force.
The name change comes amid sensitisation workshops being held for members of the ‘women protection force’, which have been drawing mostly negative publicity, not just nationally but even in international media for being heavy handed and engaging moral policing.
“Behen betiyon ka samman sarkaar ki prathmikta hai. Ab anti-romeo squad ka naam ‘Nari Suraksha Bal’ kar diya gaya hai (protecting the honour of our sisters and daughters is top priority for our government. The anti-Romeo squad would now be known as Nari Surakhsha Bal),” UP minister Rajendra Pratap ‘Moti’ Singh said. The minister didn’t attribute any reason for the name change, but some police officers admitted that there was a feeling that the anti-romeo squads that the BJP had promised in its UP manifesto may have been attracting negative publicity due to their “wrong branding.”
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad HC had in March upheld the UP government’s move to set up ‘anti-romeo’ squads. The court had, however, cautioned against overreacting and said the police must act only as per law and not do anything “outside its purview.” UP DGP Sulkhan Singh, too, had said the squads would be sensitised; reason which the police part of the women protection force have been asked to attend sensitisation workshops.
“The training programme is aimed at sensitising cops about their work profile, communication skills, gesture and legal aspects of the campaign,” said inspector general of police (IGP), Navniet Sekera. He said it was being explained to them that they did not have to get involved in moral policing or troubling couples. Their work was to ensure that nobody troubled women at public places, outside schools and colleges and in market places.