Is frequent political interference demoralising the police force in Karnataka? At least the Indian Police Service (Karnataka) Association feels that the recent incidents in the state are showing the IPS and police force in poor light and this has a “definite pattern”.
A letter by a senior police officer, detailing the declining law and order situation due to the increasing political interference in the form of frequent transfer of officers and growing incidents of violence and hooliganism and the need for the police force to 'return to the path of duty', has caused a major embarrassment to the Congress government in the state. The BJP has demanded that the chief secretary convene a meeting immediately as the concerns raised by the association are 'serious'.
Dr Rajvir Pratap Sharma, president of the association, in his letter, dated March 8, has requested Karnataka Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha to convene a meeting of all IPS officers to discuss 'threadbare' and evolve a strategy considering the immediate goal of conducting a free and fair election and the long-term goal of infusing professional values in the service and police force of the state.
The chief minister's office on late Sunday evening issued a clarification stating that the issues raised by Sharma were his 'personal views' and did not have the backing of the executive committee members of the IPS Association.
”The secretary of IPS Association, Pronab Mohanty, is not aware of the issues raised by Mr R.P. Sharma as they are his personal views. No discussion or board meeting was held to issue the letter to the chief secretary. Sharma has misused the letterhead of the association. The same has been conveyed to the CM over phone by Mr Mohanty who is in Delhi,” said a clarification from the CMO.
Sharma has drawn attention to the recent attack on the Lokayukta in his office and stated it cannot be seen in isolation. “From the attack, it is apparent that there is something missing in the functioning of the police force and as the managerial service (IPS), we cannot remain disassociated with such happenings. A stronger and professional mechanism could have averted such happenings,” said Sharma, elaborating many more incidents to substantiate his claim.
Citing the assault on IAS officer Rashmi in Mysore, attack on Mysore DC Shikha, who was also kept waiting for hours before an FIR was registered, the UB City attack case (involving a Congress MLA's son), attempts to set fire to a government office, Cauvery riots and murders in broad daylight in Bengaluru, Sharma said, the incidents only indicated serious 'chink in the armour of the security fabric'.
The IPS in Karnataka has had a strong tradition, but is now a pale shadow of the past, rued the officer stating, “There is a perception that IPS no longer commands the same stature. The tenure of the police officer, despite the elaborate exercise done by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh case, has been reduced to one year, which is no good as discussed in the senior officers' conference. The tenure policy is one of the facts in policing. Instead of building public confidence by allowing cops to assume leadership roles, IPS officers have been punished for discharging their duties.”
Citing the example of the Bengaluru city commissioner's post, Sharma stated that senior officers were frequently transferred and the tenure had become a casualty. “Even the Bengaluru CP's post has been occupied by six officers in the last four-and-half years and thus the continuity, the command formation, and, of course, the intrinsic confidence in the service members, is all abysmally low. The recent attack on Lokayukta indicates that the cops are fulfilling their contractual obligations to the people in power and not discharging their statutory duty or constitutional obligation,” charged Sharma.
Expressing concern over the legacy to the next generation, Sharma said, “I am unsure as eccentric location of power, with the loss of chain of command and decline in sense of responsibility and increasing loyalty to men in power, had little for service leaders to leave behind as legacy.”
Making a serious allegation that raises concerns over the investigations and outcomes, the senior officer noted that investigation had been hijacked by the politicians in important cases and the lawbreakers had lost the fear of police. Not citing specific instances, Sharma asserted that 'flow of investigation' was changed at the political behest. The specialised agencies headed by IPS officers had also become redundant due to political interference, he added.
Reminding that a course correction was possible provided one accepts the flaws and is sensitive towards such a correction, Sharma said, “The association wants the officers to decide the path in accordance with statutory and constitutional obligations and return to the path of duty from where they have deviated in the public eyes. Many senior and retired officers share this concern.”
Meanwhile, BJP leaders have demanded that the chief secretary should convene the meeting as sought by the police officers.
Said former law minister S. Suresh Kumar, “The letter written by the IPS officers to the chief secretary is full of concern. Every sentence in the letter will be endorsed by every citizen of Karnataka as it has raised the relevant issues at the right time. As mentioned, the police system is under strain. No ruling party has a right to destroy a system or administration machinery, just for its survival and to appease its followers. In Karnataka, which is claimed to be the No.1 state in the country by our chief minister, the common man is not safe, the officers are unsafe, the Lokayukta is not safe.”
“IAS officer Rashmi was attacked in the office premises and now the Lokayukta attacked in his office. In the last four years, the Bengaluru police commissioner's post was occupied by six officers; it is a telling comment on the system. It is high time the CS agrees to this meeting, to create an atmosphere of confidence for the police system to function fearlessly. Ultimately, systems and administration are bigger than any one person,” Kumar argued.