'Common man, police officers not safe in Karnataka'

Demanding an immediate meeting between IPS Officers Association and the Chief Secretary, BJP spokesperson Suresh Kumar  on Monday alleged that the common man and police officers are not safe in Karnataka, ' which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claims is the number one state.'

"The common man and police officers are not safe in Karnataka, claimed to be number one state by Chief Minister. It is very sad that police officers are not feeling safe in the system," he said in a video clip released to the press. "The police system is under strain...the ruling party for its survival and to protect its followers does not have a right to destroy a system and an institution," he alleged.

He said the Association had written to Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha, asking her to convene a meeting of all IPS officers and some retired IPS officers," to discuss and evolve a strategy considering their immediate goal of a fair and free election and long-term goal of imbibing strong professional values in the service and police force."

Assembly polls are due in Karnataka this year. Kumar said each and every sentence in the letter, which raised relevant issues at the right time, would be endorsed by all citizens of the state. He said it started with the assault on IAS officer Rashmi and the latest was the attack on Karnataka Lokayukta Vishwanath Shetty.

Six police commissioners in four years for Bengaluru city was a telling comment on the system, Kumar said. It was high time the Chief Secretary agreed to the meet and thrashed out issues to give confidence to the public as ultimately their welfare was most important for any administration, he said. Sharma also expressed displeasure over alleged political interference in police duties. He also flayed what he called were frequent transfers of police officers.