A video of Shamli’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajay Kumar, an IPS officer of 2011 batch, giving foot massage to a kanwaria while the officer was in his uniform went viral on social media on Friday, 26 July.
Shamli Police’s Twitter handle posted the video, saying, “Suraksha ke sath sath seva bhi.”
This was accompanied by message announcing a diagnostic camp for pilgrims passing through the district.
While speaking to ANI, Kumar said, “The video is from a health camp. I had been called at inauguration of the camp. After I inaugurated the camp, I did this as a symbolic service to the pilgrims.”
The video attracted not juts a lot of praise, but also criticism on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.
Some criticised the IPS officer's conduct saying that it was not the appropriate behaviour by a senior official in uniform.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Kumar said, "The canvas of modern day policing is very broad. Police has a lot of roles to maintain, including investigation, law and order, etc. Compassion and humanity are also part of it. The police cannot maintain a distance from the people."
He added, “When police seen can help injured people and give them first aid, can an SP not offer a weak person some comfort? Imagine waking for 200-300 km, hungry and thirsty. If they fall due to weakness, people will say police do not have ‘protective approach’.”
According to The Indian Express, Hours after the video was released, SP Kumar and District Magistrate Akhilesh Kumar showered rose and marigod petals on the Kanwar pilgrims, who danced on the streets and raised slogans of "Yogi Adityanath Zindabad."
(With inputs from ANI, The Indian Express)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)