Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka D. K. Shivakumar recently questioned high level police officers of his state as to whether they were trying to saffronise the police force in the state. He expressed his disapproval of the police who had worn saffron shawls at police stations in Mangaluru, Bijapur (Vijayapura), and Bagalkot, stating that he expected them to have come to the meeting in saffron shawls as a sign of patriotism.
Shivakumar further accused the police of disrespecting their department when trying to fabricate OMR sheets in the PSI recruitment scandal. He also accused the police of harassing Priyank Kharge and bringing disrepute to their department through the harassment of thousands of party workers under the false cases filed. He further oppugned them for not filing a case against the others who had stated that CM Siddaramaiah had to be dealt with like Tipu Sultan.
The Deputy Chief Minister, while emphasizing on the need for change in the police department, expressed his wish to start work afresh and give peace to the people. He also asked the police to move away from their earlier behaviours, which he said, won’t be tolerated from then on.
D. K. Shivakumar is an Indian politician from Karnataka who is currently Deputy Chief Minister of the state since May 2021. He is a member of the Indian National Congress and was previously minister of Congress in 28 year rule of his party. Shivakumar has a strong political influence in the state due to his close relations with several politicians within the state and is well-known for his tireless work ethic and ambition. A popular figure with the public, he has a large voter base and has won five Vidhan Sabha elections consecutively.