Jodhpur: In an unprecedented development, as many as 250 personnel from Rajasthan Police refused guard of honour for Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday. The cops in Jodhpur went on a day’s mass leave, reported media quoting Jodhpur police commissioner Ashok Rathod, who confirmed the incident.
Cops’s protest was reportedly against the central government’s order that will reduce their pay.
Ashok Rathod told the newspaper, “More than 250 policemen went on day’s mass leave on Monday. It was not a sanctioned leave. They absented themselves from duty. Some of these men were part of the guard of honour (for Union home minister), but they refused to report for duty. We had to replace them with other policemen.”
Meanwhile, two cops in Jaipur too joined the protest against MHA’s order and tonsured their heads in protest. They were immediately sent to the police line and Jaipur police commissioner Sanjay Agarwal said that he had launched an investigation into the incident.
Rathod said that the department will take action against those who had gone a day’s mass leave. “The action will be uniform in nature,“ he added.
Cops in Rajasthan have been unhappy over the MHA’s alleged order that they suspect would result in their pay cut by Rs 5,000- from the existing Rs 24,000 to a proposed Rs 19,000.
“Some policemen from the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) received less salary owing to the pay cut earlier this month. After protest, they were repaid the money which was deducted from them,” one of the protesting policemen was quoted by media.
He added that many cops are currently afraid that an order for the pay cut will be released soon.
“We haven’t received any assurance from the government that our salary won’t be reduced. We demand an immediate order be released to assure us. More than a lakh cops in the state are currently protesting,” he added.
A WhatsApp message too has gone viral on social media groups of constables.
Rajasthan has a BJP government headed by Vasundhara Raje Scindia.
