Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the three new criminal justice laws were enacted with the spirit of "citizen first, dignity first and justice first" and that the police now need to work with data instead of 'danda'.

Addressing the 58th conference of Director Generals of Police (DGPs) and Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) here, Modi exhorted the police to focus on the safety of women to ensure they can work fearlessly "kabhi bhi aur kahin bhi (anytime, anywhere)." He emphasised that the new criminal laws were framed with the spirit of "citizen first, dignity first and justice first' and instead of working with 'danda', police now need to work with "data".

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam have been enacted recently to replace the Indian Penal Code-1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure-1898 and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively.

The prime minister said these new laws were a paradigm shift in India's criminal justice system.

He said a special focus was laid on sensitising women and girls about their rights and protection provided to them under the new laws.

Modi said the Indian police should transform itself into a modern and world-class force to realise the vision of a developed India by 2047 -- the centenary of India's independence.

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