A recent directive from the Varanasi Police has sparked controversy, as male officers have been instructed to wear saffron dhoti and kurta and sport a tilak on their foreheads, resembling temple priests at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple
According to Varanasi Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal, the initiative would be assessed after a 15-day trial period. This was also tested in 2018, but the experiment was ended before further testing could take place.
“We need to ensure that devotees feel respected, especially during times of large gatherings and visits of VIPs,” Said Agarwal as quoted by The Indian Express.
Currently, four sanctum sanctorum gates of the temple are guarded by male officers, while female officers in khaki uniforms are placed nearby to keep an eye on activity.
A three-day training session will be held for the police officers stationed at the temple in order to ensure a strict no-touch policy and to improve their communication skills.
SP slams move
However, this decision has been met with criticism from Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav, who has questioned the applicable police manual for such attire and expressed concerns about potential security risks.
While condemning the decision, Yadav took to X-platform and wrote, “According to which ‘police manual’ is it correct for policemen to be dressed as priests? Those who give such orders should be suspended. If tomorrow any ‘thug’ (fraudster) takes advantage of this and loots the innocent public, then what will the UP government and administration answer? Condemnable!”.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a revered Hindu temple, attracts around five lakh devotees daily. Approximately 800 police personnel of various ranks are stationed for security on a rotational basis, with approximately 250 deployed at any given time
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