BENGALURU: Former Bengaluru City police commissioner and the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Chamarajpet, Bhaskar Rao’s controversial comment that he is open to seek support from history-sheeter Silent Sunil during elections has drawn sharp reactions from many former police officers.
Plunging into politics after retirement is an individual’s choice, said former Director General of Police ST Ramesh, but “a person who had held the top position in the city police joining hands with a person with criminal records to win elections is problematic.”
It leads to ethical questions, he said, and tantamounts to justifying criminalisation of politics which is already plaguing the society.
“It also raises questions of conflict of interest - was the police officer dealing with criminals in a professionally while in service? It is bound to dent the already battered image of the police,” said Ramesh.
Every vote matters
Former Bengaluru City police commissioner T Suneel Kumar said that retired bureaucrats have to be conscious, but when they are in service, those with criminal records prefer to stay away from the police, but in politics every vote matters.