Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Friday instructed paramilitary forces to tackle violence with patience, tact and understanding and said that the right to use force should be exercised responsibly.
Speaking at the investiture ceremony of the Border Security Force (BSF), Mr Chidambaram said, “If the state uses it force, it has to be used responsibly. The state cannot use excessive force. The state cannot use force against unarmed and defenceless people.” These were the limitations that come with the right to use force, he added.
He further said that all paramilitary forces must remember that while the state has the power to use force, its limitations must be respected. If we do not observe these limitations, people will question the legitimacy of the state to use the force, he added. “Violence is not new to India or any other country and one must remember that we live in a very troubled world and a very volatile neighbourhood,” he said.
Mr Chidambaram said the country has seen an 18-month period sans any major terror attack, except the Pune blast, or any major incident of communal violence.
Many modules of terror have been busted during this period, said the home minister, who also awarded President’s gallantry and police medals to the BSF personnel.