Central forces told to display Sardar portrait in their offices
All Central paramilitary security forces from now on will have display portraits of Sardar Patel at their offices. The portrait will also have a message stating, “Bharat Ki Suraksha Aur Ekta Ko Ham Akshun Rakhenge” or “No one would be permitted to damage the security, unity and integrity of India.”
The order would come into immediate effect all offices and other establishments of Central armed paramilitary forces have been directed to have portraits of the country’s first home minister with this message.
There has been a view among the ruling BJP-led government that Sardar Patel had denied his due recognition by the previous regimes, particularly the Congress Governments. Thus, this move is also being seen as an initiative by the Modi government to honour and respect Patels’ legacy. ■
Earlier, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative, the world’s biggest statue of Sardar Patel, the Statue of Unity, had also been constructed in Gujarat.
A senior home ministry official said this was purely an administrative move rather than a political one. ``Since Sardar Patel was the country’s first home minister, all Central forces should put his portrait or picture in their offices as a mark of respect. Sardar Patel also played an important role in uniting the country by roping in different princely states. So, this is an administrative decision to give more respect to Patel,’’ the official added.
Apart from Central armed forces, police of other Union Territories like Delhi police, which come under the direct administrative control of the home ministry, will also follow the same directives.