Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Mar 13: Thoroughly taken aback by the sudden criticism levelled by the president of IPS Officers (Karnataka) Association and ADGP, Rajvir Pratap Sharma, about the interference of politicians in police affairs and undermining their morale, in a letter written by him to the state chief secretary, Ratna Prabha, and also leaking the contents of the letter to the media, chief minister Siddaramaiah, sought immediate launching of the disciplinary action against the officer concerned.
The chief minister, on Monday March 12, directed chief secretary Ratna Prabha to initiate disciplinary action against Sharma by directing the department of personnel and administrative reforms suitably. As per the rules, a department inquiry will be ordered and action will be taken as per the service rules.
Ratna Prabha has since written to Sharma, seeking to know whether what he expressed in the letter was a collective opinion of the association or whether he acted on his own. She also is learnt to have sought a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the association and number of people who supported the decision. She also criticized him for going public with the letter at a juncture when election is nearing. The officer has been asked to discharge his duties earnestly as a civil servant, rather than giving vent to his political interests.
Siddaramaiah, sources said, was particularly angry at the way media began to project his government in poor light on the basis of the above letter. It is said that he expressed the opinion that the officer was not authorized to question the government's style of functioning. The office of the chief minister said that secretary of the association, Pronab Mohanty, who is currently in New Delhi, has clarified to the chief minister that the views expressed in the said letter are Sharma's own, and not the collective opinion of the association.
Sharma, it may be recalled, had asked in his letter to the chief secretary to convene a meeting of IPS officers and retired police personnel to discuss decline in law and order situation and political interference in the state. Sharma had cited attack on Lokayukta, IAS officers, V Rashmi, and C Shikha, at Mysuru and the attack on Vidwath in a pub at Bengaluru involving the son of a politician. He also had expressed his resentment at the way police officers being made to face action for doing their duty.