India News | Rajasthan Police Asks SPs to Ensure No Places of Worship on Office Premises, BJP MP Criticises

Jaipur, Oct 26 (PTI) The Rajasthan Police has directed all district police heads to ensure strict compliance to the law that restricts the construction of places of worship in police premises or stations, according to an official order.

The order invited a strong criticism from BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena who termed the Congress government in the state "anti-Hindu" and demanded the directive be withdrawn.

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The order was issued Monday by Additional Director General of Police (Police Housing) A Ponnuchami who has said that under the Rajasthan Religious Buildings and Places Act 1954, there can be no religious place in a public building.

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He said that all the superintendents of police of the state have been asked to ensure compliance to this Act.

BJP MP Meena said the police are wasting their time and energy on issuing such an "illogical order" rather than managing the "deteriorating" law and order situation.

Meena said the order issued by the police has exposed the "anti-Hindu" face of Congress government and it should be withdrawn immediately.

The order directs police officers/employees and other unit in-charges to ensure that the Rajasthan Religious Buildings and Places Act 1954 is strictly followed.

In the order, Ponnuchami said that in the past years, there has been an "increase" in the trend of construction of places of worship in various types of office complexes/police stations of the police department in the name of faith, which is not legal.

The Rajasthan Religious Buildings and Places Act 1954 prohibits religious use of public places, the order said.

Also, there is no provision for the construction of a place of worship in the map prepared and approved for the construction of administrative buildings of police stations, the order said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)