Communal violence 'worrying': Prez

President Pranab Mukherjee today described the recent incidents of communal flare-up as "worrying" and asked local administration to nip in the bud such tensions.
In an apparent reference to the recent communal violence in Muzaffarnagar in UP, in which 65 people were killed, the President said, "There has been a worrying bout of communal violence in some parts of our country, accompanied by a deterioration in inter-community relations."
Addressing the passing out parade of Indian Police Service (IPS) probationers at the National Police Academy here, he said, "There is a need to strengthen the ability of our district and local administration to notice such tensions in their initial stages and take necessary measures to contain them quickly."

The President also spoke about the threat of terrorism from abroad as well as internal security challenges.
"The government is committed to dealing with left wing extremism in a comprehensive manner," he said, adding that for this it was pursuing a two-pronged approach of conducting proactive operations against extremists while also focusing on development and governance issues in the affected areas.
He said these challenges must be met "head on" while cautioning that "the actions of our police forces must respect human rights of our people and the letter and spirit of our Constitution".

Mukherjee told the police officers that India's first Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel had created the All India Services with great expectations.

The President recounted Patel's advice to civil servants that they should never take part in politics and not involve themselves in communal wrangles while underlining the importance of maintaining the "highest standard of integrity".
Mukherjee said his vision of the police for future India is not that of only a law enforcing body but of a pro-active service provider and a partner in growth, development and peace.
He also said police constables are the visible face of government and therefore enough attention should be paid to their training and development and improvement in their service conditions.