Jayaprakash Narayan asks states to be open to police reforms

Lok Satta Party national president and MLA Jayaprakash Narayan has dismissed as "spurious" the argument of states opposing the police reforms recommended by the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC). "It is shocking to see state governments opposing police reforms recommended by ARC on the spurious argument that they are encroaching upon their powers and hurting their pride", Narayan, a member of the Commission, said in a statement on Tuesday. He was referring to the reservations expressed by states at a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi yesterday to discuss ARC recommendations. "It was surprising that states which fight for their rights in a federal set-up would like to deny the citizens the right to impartial, fair and effective rule of law," said the bureaucrat-turned-politician. He said states should not torpedo governance reforms by "raising spurious arguments". Narayan said, "Police and judicial reforms, institution of strong anti-corruption mechanisms, empowerment of local governments and guaranteeing services to citizens as a matter of right are all at the heart of governance reforms." He said the citizen empowerment and independent anti- corruption institutions and effective policing and judicial reforms are all pro-people measures and none of them empower the Centre. "Opposition to these measures in the name of federalism is the height of absurdity," he said.