“Anyone may be, however big, however much pride he may have in his position, but if his security is removed, it will not take long for him to become a bhigi billi (timid, helpless or submissive, especially when faced with a difficult situation),” he said.

Yogi’s comments followed the apex court’s criticism that came during the hearing of a criminal case involving a motorcycle rider accused of harassment. The complainant told the court that she had caught the rider at the spot and handed him over to the police.

However, the FIR was registered against an “unknown” person, with the accused’s name left blank. The name was later disclosed in the police affidavit. The complainant also alleged that the investigation was one-sided and that the accused was later given a clean chit.

The bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva questioned why the police had named the rider as unknown if he had been caught at the spot.

“Why did you write unknown if the person was caught at the spot? How will people trust the police?” the court asked. The bench also said, “Toeing the line is one thing but bending over backwards. And this kind of cover-up job? Less said the better.”

It then said, “It is better if we ask CBI (the Central Bureau of Investigation) to step in all UP Police investigations. We might as well disband the UP Police. This nonsense has to stop at some point.”

The court has sought an explanation from the UP Police on why the accused’s name was left out of the FIR initially and directed the concerned officer to appear at the next hearing.

The criticism gave Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav an ammunition against the Yogi government, as he seized on the court’s words to target the UP Police and the state government.

Yogi responded a day later at a programme held to honour police personnel for bravery and service.

‘Security ke bina har vyakti bebas hai‘

The chief minister did not name the Supreme Court or Akhilesh while making his statement. He said people could sit in a closed chamber and make comments, but they could do so only because there was a secure environment outside.

“Band chamber mein baithkar chintan karna aur tippani karna alag vishay hai. Hum chintan tabhi sukhad roop se kar sakte hain jab bahar suraksha ka mahaul ho (Sitting in a closed chamber and making observations is one thing. We can think and deliberate peacefully only when there is a secure environment outside),” he said.

The chief minister stated the absence of security could leave anyone helpless. He cited the Uttar Pradesh Police’s stated theme, “Aapki suraksha, hamara sankalp (Your safety is our commitment),” and said that the force was working to protect people.

He also used the occasion to talk about the law-and-order situation before 2017. He said that during that period, mafia groups had influence across the state and political leaders had surrendered before criminals.

“If the political leadership itself has a crooked spine, how can it straighten the law-and-order situation?” he said.

He said people in power at that time had “rubbed their noses” and “bowed their knees” before mafia leaders. He said the Uttar Pradesh Police now has a different identity, and police personnel do not need to hide their identity.

Yogi also referred to the seven police commissionerates presently operating in Uttar Pradesh.

87 interceptor vehicles flagged off

The police event was not limited to the political exchange over the Supreme Court’s observations. Yogi also flagged off 87 high-tech interceptor vehicles for the state police.

The vehicles are meant to strengthen patrolling, road safety enforcement and response work. The programme also included the presentation of gallantry medals to police personnel. Ten personnel were honoured with the Chief Minister’s Gallantry Medal, while 16 received the President’s Gallantry Medal.

The event also saw the release of ‘Sangharsh’, a book by former Uttar Pradesh DGP Prakash Singh on police reforms and policing experiences.

Yogi recalls UP’s ‘terrorism’ years

During the programme, the chief minister also recalled his student years and described the security situation in Uttar Pradesh’s Terai region.

He said the area faced “terrorism” when he was in college and that there was an atmosphere of fear at the time. He credited officers such as Prakash Singh with taking tough decisions during difficult conditions and helping restore peace in the Terai.

Yogi said the former DGP later served in several states affected by insurgency and terrorism, including Assam, Nagaland, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. He described the former police officer’s experience as valuable for the country’s security.