Punjab Police Clarifies No Advisory Issued Asking Officers to Skip Uniform During Commute

Punjab Police on Tuesday rejected claims that it had issued instructions asking police personnel not to wear their uniforms while travelling to or from work, describing messages circulating on social media as false. In a statement posted on X, the Punjab Police clarified that neither its headquarters nor any office operating under it had issued an advisory directing personnel to travel in civilian clothes while commuting to or from duty.

The police department urged both the public and its personnel to disregard such messages and rely only on official communication channels for verified information. The controversy comes after Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, raised the issue and questioned the state government's approach to law and order. Bajwa claimed that police personnel had been advised to travel without their uniforms and wear them only after reaching their respective police stations.

Bajwa criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led government and said the alleged instruction raised questions about the security of police personnel as well as their morale. He also questioned who was responsible for maintaining law and order in Punjab. The dispute appears to have stemmed from a purported memorandum dated September 18 concerning the personal security of police personnel and measures to strengthen security at duty locations and checkpoints.

The document reportedly included directions relating to security arrangements at checkpoints, monitoring of movement routes, vigilance against suspicious individuals and activities, night patrolling and coordination with agencies including the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and intelligence units. 

Punjab Police has specifically denied that the memorandum or any other official communication from its headquarters instructed personnel to avoid wearing uniforms while commuting. The department reiterated that social media messages making such a claim should not be treated as genuine unless verified through official sources.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.