AP cops not barred from observing `deeksha' on duty: Minister

Andhra Pradesh Government has not imposed restrictions on policemen observing `Ayyappa Deeksha' while on duty, Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy said today.

Talking to reporters in Vijayawada, she said if any senior police officer has issued such instructions, they would be withdrawn.

The clarifications came in the wake of reports that DGP's office had issued orders that no police personnel would follow `Ayyappa Deeksha', a religious ritual, on duty. Devotees of Swamy Ayyappa observe Deeksha, a period during which they wear black clothes and follow some other rituals as a mark of devotion.

Policemen who take deeksha usually come in khakhi uniform but wear a black towel around their neck to indicate they are undertaking the ritual, she added.

-(with PTI inputs)