Selja flags worsening law and order situation in Haryana as gang threats, police vacancies and organised crime raise concerns over public safety
CHANDIGARH | PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
Sirsa MP, former Union minister, Congress general secretary and CWC member Kumari Selja has expressed serious concern over what she described as the deteriorating law and order situation in Haryana. She said incidents involving threats allegedly issued by gangsters to traders, doctors, public representatives and other residents were being reported from several major cities, forcing many people to seek police protection.
In a statement issued to the media, Selja said the growing number of people seeking security was itself an indication that criminals were becoming more emboldened and that ordinary citizens were increasingly feeling unsafe. She argued that the government needed to move beyond providing individual security after threats or incidents and address the wider criminal networks behind such cases.
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More Than 25,000 Police Posts Reportedly Vacant
Selja said Haryana’s police strength should have been expanded in line with population growth and the changing nature of crime, but around 30 per cent of sanctioned posts are reportedly vacant. According to the information cited by her, more than 25,000 positions remain unfilled in the Haryana Police, creating shortages from the constabulary level to the rank of deputy superintendent of police.
She described the vacancy of nearly 14,000 constable posts alone as particularly serious. A shortage of personnel, she said, increases the workload on serving police officers and personnel and can affect both crime prevention and the investigation of cases. The pressure becomes more significant as police agencies are required to deal with conventional offences as well as cybercrime, drug trafficking and organised criminal activity.
Selja acknowledged that the government has initiated recruitment for around 5,600 posts and has indicated that further recruitment will follow. However, she said the pace was inadequate considering the scale of the existing vacancies. She urged the government not to wait until 2030 and instead fill all vacant posts through a phased and time-bound recruitment programme.
New Police Posts Needed for Emerging Crime Challenges
Beyond filling existing vacancies, Selja called for sanctioning additional police posts to match Haryana’s expanding population, newly developing urban areas and emerging security challenges. She specifically referred to cybercrime, drug trafficking and organised crime as areas requiring greater police capacity, specialised personnel and modern investigative support.
She said police stations should be provided with adequate manpower, modern equipment and technological assistance. In her view, strengthening policing at the local level is essential for preventing crimes, responding quickly to complaints and improving the quality and speed of investigations.
Selja Calls for Action Against Criminal Networks
Selja criticised what she described as a government approach focused on temporary measures. Providing police protection to a person after a threat, she said, cannot be treated as a permanent solution. She called for a comprehensive campaign against gangster networks, extortionists, illegal weapons and drug traffickers, with particular attention to their financial and criminal infrastructure.
She said enforcement agencies must identify the wider networks that facilitate organised crime and target the sources of money, weapons and logistical support that allow such groups to operate. Stronger coordination between investigative teams, local police units and technology-based surveillance, she argued, would be necessary to tackle increasingly organised forms of crime.
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Chief Minister Should Prioritise Haryana Issues, Says Congress Leader
Selja also said the Chief Minister should focus more closely on Haryana’s law and order situation, unemployment, drug abuse and public concerns instead of remaining active in Punjab politics. She said the people of Haryana had entrusted the government with responsibility for the state and expected regular monitoring of law and order across all districts.
She called for a clear deadline for filling vacant police posts and regular reviews of the security situation. In her view, the government must assess the changing pattern of crime district by district and ensure that police resources are aligned with the challenges faced by different urban and rural areas.
Congress Seeks Concrete Action on Public Safety
Selja said the Congress did not want to politicise a serious issue such as crime and public safety but wanted concrete action from the government. She described the protection of citizens as the government’s primary constitutional responsibility and urged the administration to treat warnings from the Opposition as an opportunity to address genuine concerns rather than dismissing them as political criticism.
She said Haryana needed an environment in which traders, professionals, public representatives and ordinary citizens could live and work without fear. According to Selja, achieving that objective would require sustained police recruitment, stronger investigations, action against organised crime and improved policing infrastructure rather than isolated security arrangements for individuals.
Her remarks come amid continuing political debate over crime and public safety in Haryana. Selja maintained that the government must respond with a long-term policing strategy that combines adequate manpower, modern technology, intelligence-based action and a focused campaign against criminal networks.
POD/DESK
