Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 28: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday took a sharp swipe at the state police, questioning their effectiveness in tackling communal unrest and criminal activity. Pointing to the situation in Mangaluru, he said peace was restored there after the transfer of just two officers — and asked why similar results could not be achieved elsewhere.

Speaking at the Vidhana Soudha banquet hall during the launch of new police peak caps, the unveiling of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, and the release of the booklet Sanmatra, Siddaramaiah remarked caustically: “After the transfer of two police officers in Mangaluru, the communal violence came under control. So tell me — are those officers who took charge from heaven? They are your own, aren’t they? If they can do it, why can’t you? It’s possible — you only need the will to act.”

The chief minister said public fear of the police had eroded in recent years, and urged the force to reflect on why this had happened. “Merely changing your cap will not serve any purpose,” he quipped. “There must be a change in your professional commitment and efficiency,” he added.

Issuing a stern warning, Siddaramaiah said some officers were known to maintain links with criminals — a trend that, he said, had damaged the police’s reputation. “Some policemen are getting involved with criminals or maintaining contact with them. This is unacceptable. Because of this attitude, people have lost fear of the police,” he observed.

He challenged the force to act decisively against the drug trade: “Who are the drug peddlers? From where are the drugs coming into our state? By which routes are they supplied? Who are the rowdies? Don’t the police know? They do — yet they let them go. Those same people later become hardened criminals. They must be nipped in the bud. Otherwise, a ‘drug-free Karnataka’ will remain a mere slogan,” he cautioned.

Siddaramaiah added that the home minister was determined to root out criminals and make Karnataka drug-free. “To achieve that goal, the police must cooperate fully,” he said, reiterating that officers should have “no relationship whatsoever” with criminals.

Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, who also addressed the gathering, delivered a pointed reminder about professionalism and neutrality in the force. “If you compromise your duty to please others, you are selling yourself,” he warned.

Recalling incidents during the previous government’s tenure, he said some police personnel in Vijayapura and Udupi had shed their khaki uniforms to wear saffron robes during Ayudha Pooja celebrations.“Such acts, done to impress political leaders or under pressure, tarnish your integrity and the dignity of the department,” he said. “Whatever the party or government in power, your duty must never be compromised,” he added.

The chief minister’s remarks underscore the government’s frustration with lapses in law enforcement and its push for greater accountability. By citing Mangaluru as an example, Siddaramaiah sent a clear signal that strong leadership and integrity — not politics or symbolism — are key to maintaining law and order.