India Observes Police Commemoration Day with National Tributes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Indian government leaders observed Police Commemoration Day on October 21, 2026, to honor police personnel who died in the line of duty. The annual event commemorates a 1959 ambush in Ladakh where 10 Indian police personnel were killed by Chinese troops.

In New Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the National Police Commemoration Day Parade and laid a wreath at the National Police Memorial. Shah paid tribute to 36,852 personnel who have died in the line of duty, including 154 names added to the memorial this year. He specifically praised the Central Armed Police Forces for maintaining internal security and conducting the West Bengal Assembly elections without loss of life, claiming the country has become free from election-related violence.

Shah also flagged off a 'Fight Against Drugs' motorcycle rally consisting of 90 riders from nine states, union territories, and central police organizations. The rally is traveling toward Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, for a parade scheduled for October 31.

Regional tributes were held across the country. In Bengaluru, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged police to remain firm against criminals while staying approachable to the public. In Mumbai, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mayor Ritu Tawde paid floral tributes to fallen officers. Other state leaders, including Chief Ministers Prema Khandu of Arunachal Pradesh and Hemant Biswa of Assam, issued tributes acknowledging the courage and sacrifice of the police force.