Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 21 (HBTV): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that instilling the fear of law among criminals is one of the priorities of his government.

"Strengthening the law and order in the state and instilling a fear of law among the criminals is the priority of our government," the Chief Minister said while addressing a gathering at an event organised on Police Commemoration Day at Reserve Police Lines in Lucknow. 

"Given this, the state government has taken several important steps to increase the morale and efficiency of the Uttar Pradesh Police and provide better resources to the police force," he added.

The Chief Minister said that his government has a policy of zero tolerance towards crime and criminals. 

"Action has been taken against 77,811 criminals and 923 criminals were arrested under the Gangster Act. Property worth approximately Rs 4,057 crore earned through illegal activities by the mafia, criminals and their gang members were seized and freed from illegal possession," he said. 

The chief minister paid homage to the personnel from the Uttar Pradesh Police who lost their lives in the line of duty. 

"Two brave policemen of the Uttar Pradesh Police are also included among the martyrs who sacrificed their lives while performing their duty in the year 2023-24. On this occasion, I pay my humble tribute to all the martyred police personnel. This supreme sacrifice of our brave police personnel will continue to inspire us to move forward on the path of duty with full devotion, dedication and a sense of responsibility," he said.

"The police force has made a significant contribution in conducting the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya as well as the Lok Sabha General Elections 2024 peacefully," he added. 

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking on Police Commemoration Day on Monday, assured that the sacrifices of police personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty will not be forgotten and further committed to eradicating terrorism and drug trafficking from the country. 

"We (our security forces) have been able to control terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir over the past decade, but the battle is not finished. We are committed to completely eliminating terrorism, drug trafficking, and other anti-India activities," Shah stated while addressing a gathering of senior officers, retired personnel, and families of police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

Police Commemoration Day, observed annually on October 21, pays homage to the personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty, with the main function held at the National Police Memorial, traditionally presided over by the Union Home Minister. 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also participated in the Police Commemoration Day Parade at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada. 

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar laid a wreath as he paid tribute to police jawans who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty on Police Commemoration Day in the city. 

Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla also laid a wreath, paying tribute to police jawans who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty on the occasion.   

(ANI)