President asks CRPF to give best to ensure free, fair LS polls

President Pranab Mukherjee today asked paramilitary forces, particularly CRPF, to give their best to ensure peaceful, free and fair polling during coming Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing a function organised on the occasion of Diamond Jubilee celebration of CRPF, the President said this year, the country will witness the general election to the Lok Sabha and the Indian electorate is one-seventh of the global population.
"The election of a government at the Centre by the people every five years is an exercise of gigantic proportions and poses enormous challenge to all those involved in its conduct. The security forces, particularly the CRPF, have to give their best in ensuring that free and fair elections are held under a peaceful atmosphere," he said

Referring to terrorism, Mukherjee said India is a constant target of various terrorist groups operating in the region and security forces and the intelligence mechanism have to be alert every second to avert any event that can strike terror or disrupt peace.
"The pernicious designs of the terrorists have to be defeated at all levels. The fangs of their vicious and divisive blueprint have to be countered with a multi-pronged approach. To my mind, using information technology, harnessing better intelligence, and drawing greater cooperation from the people would be the key," he said.