- A Madhya Pradesh Police directive asking recruits to read Bhagvad Gita has triggered a political row
- Congress called the directive an attempt to radicalise while BJP defended it as an exercise in moral grounding
- The directive says trainees should read one chapter of the scripture before their nightly meditation session
A recent directive from the Madhya Pradesh Police Training Wing asking recruits to read chapters from the Bhagavad Gita has triggered a sharp political row, with the opposition Congress calling it an attempt to radicalise while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defends it as an exercise in moral grounding.
The directive, which was issued by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP)- Training- Raja Babu Singh, asks all eight police training schools in Madhya Pradesh to have recruits read one chapter of the Bhagavad Gita before their nightly meditation sessions.
Speaking with NDTV, Singh said that the Gita would guide the trainees to lead a righteous life.
"The month of Margashirsha (Agahan) began on Thursday, which in the scriptures is said to be the month of Lord Shri Krishna. I would like all the Superintendents of Police to make their recruits read one chapter of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, if possible, before the meditation at night in this holy month," Singh added.
READ: Madhya Pradesh To Conduct Bhagavad Gita Sessions For Constables Training
The directive came months after the ADGP encouraged the recitation of verses from Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas at the same institutions, saying it would instill discipline and ethical clarity among the 4,000 trainees.
Singh further told NDTV that during his tenure as the Gwalior Range ADGP, he distributed Bhagavad Gita copies among jail inmates and initiated similar reading sessions.
Congress Versus BJP Over The Directive
The Congress criticised the directive by calling it "an unconstitutional attempt to saffronise the police. "Every person should be able to follow their faith. The attempt to radicalise the force is starting in Madhya Pradesh," Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta said.
Gupta added that this directive was an attempt against the constitutional system and action should be taken against it.
The BJP hit back at the Congress, accusing it of politicising a cultural and philosophical exercise.
"In a country like India, if someone considers the Bhagavad Gita communal, then there is doubt about its Indianness. This is my clear accusation against the Congress," BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said.
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"The book, which is respected by half the world and which talks about philosophy and not religion... As far as reciting it is concerned, it's not by force on anyone, but if policing improves by understanding its essence, it will improve society and the country. We will become 'Vishwaguru,' which the Congress opposes," Chaturvedi added.
As the political row intensifies, the police trainees continue to spend their evenings alternating between Chaupais from the Ramcharitmanas, chapters from the Bhagavad Gita, and half an hour of silent meditation- a blend of faith, fitness, and philosophy now shaping the next generation of the police.
Police To Hold Meditation Sessions
Building on the Bhagavad Gita directive, the police will hold three days of Heartfulness Meditation sessions between December 19 and 21, marking World Meditation Day on December 21.
Sessions will be conducted at heritage and historical sites such as Upper Lake (Bhopal), Rajwada (Indore), Dhuandhar Falls (Jabalpur), Mahakaleshwar Temple (Ujjain), and Khajuraho Temples (Chhatarpur).
Special DG Raja Babu Singh said the goal is to connect meditation with "the state's cultural and historical identity."
The programme will be open to all citizens and led by 76 trained Heartfulness instructors within police ranks across 55 districts, with zero cost to the department.
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