I protected cops fighting Maoist challenges from the rights commission as UP CM: Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that when he was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he had assured the state's police officers and staff that they would not be hassled by the human rights commission when tackling Maoists.

Singh, who was addressing personnel at the Rajasthan Police Academy, revealed that he had then told the police officers that if the need arose, he would himself face the commission.

Array

Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from October 2000 to March 2002.

"I remember when I was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a huge region was reeling under the threat of Maoism, and many officers had been killed. I asked all the senior police officers to accept this challenge."

He further added, "The officers said that they were ready to face up against the Maoists but they faced challenges from other political leaders and the Human Rights Commission, which put them in the dock, asked all sorts of questions and harassed them. They said that they faced a huge problem because of that."

"I believed in them and told them that they shouldn't worry. If I have to face the Human Rights Commission, then as the chief minister of the state, I will face them, but won't let the police officers face the commission," the Home Minister said.