CM warns indiscipline would not be tolerated in police dept

In the wake of open display of friction in the city police top brass, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today warned that government would not tolerate any indiscipline in the police department.

"We will not tolerate any indiscipline in the police department. We are going to initiate strict action against those who violate discipline," he said but maintained that there was no infighting in the police department

Siddaramaiah was replying to questions on the unseemly fight in the police top brass after a senior IPS officer P Ravindranath, accused of clicking "objectionable" pictures of a woman in a coffee shop, yesterday filed a complaint against city police chief Raghavendra Auradkar accusing him of atrocity under the SC/ST Act.

Ravindranath was transferred from the post of Additional DGP of Karnataka State Reserve Police following the woman's complaint.

Rejecting any failure on the part of the government in handling the situation, Siddaramaiah said "It is not a failure.... this is an incident that has happened in a coffee shop...., complaint has been registered, CID is investigating it and inquiry is on."

"We have handed over the case to CID. As soon as we get the report, we will take action," he told a meet-the-press programme organised by Bangalore Press Club.

The action against Ravindranath had led to an ugly turn with the fight spilling on to the streets on Tuesday when a section of KSRP personnel staged protests alleging that Ravindranath was being framed and targeted by Auradkar for it.

On Ravindranath's complaint against Auradkar, he said "we will ask CID to investigate that as well, we want impartial investigation to happen and justice should be delivered."

To a question, he said there was no proposal to transfer the city police commissioner.  Asked whether Congress' less than expected performance in the state during the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls was his failure, Siddaramaiah said "it cannot be considered as only my failure, it is party's failure, it is collective failure." Out of 28 seats, BJP won 17, Congress 9 and JDS 2.

On his absence at the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said "I had received the invite but on the same day I had pre-decided engagements so could not attend. I had replied to his invitation wishing him all the very best. It should not be seen politically."

"I will be visiting Delhi soon, when I go there I will personally meet Modi and wish him once again. I will also seek his co-operation."

He also expressed his desire to work with the new central government along with the co-operation of all central Ministers from the state and elected MP's.