Priority is to build confidence among people, provide peaceful environment: Bengaluru top cop
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Bengaluru (PTI): Just hours after taking charge as the City Police Commissioner, Seemant Kumar Singh on Friday said the main priority is to build confidence among the people and provide a peaceful environment for them to stay here.
Singh, a 1996 batch IPS officer took charge as Bengaluru's top cop late night on Thursday, after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suspended City Police Commissioner B Dayananda and other officers for dereliction of duty in connection with Wednesday's stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed lives of 11 people and injured 56 people.
Speaking on the situation in which he took charge, he said, “It’s a difficult situation, no doubt. But basic policing is my priority, and I’ll be discussing with my officers and (will take note of) the feedback given by the public and press and all others. And based on that, I’ll take up the issues one by one”.
Earlier, Singh was serving as Additional Director General of Police, Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force.
According to him, at this point, he cannot say what is his priority unless he discusses with his officers but reiterated that the situation is challenging.
“I cannot right now say which is my priority, because it will be wrong unless and until I discuss with my officers. But certainly, the situation is challenging, and the main priority is to build the confidence among the people. Bangalore City Police is for you and will always be with you and provide a peaceful environment for you to stay here," Singh told PTI Videos.
Responding to a question on the alleged system failure that led to stampede, the top cop said that it’s very premature for him as an officer to tell that. “Some things must have gone wrong. We’ll discuss about that,” he added.
When asked on growing concern about political interference in police decisions, he said, he is not aware about it and that he will be concentrating on basic policing and try to give the best, “Whatever best practices we have, and that should take care of it.”
When asked what changes Bengaluru can expect in crowd management and traffic, he said “crowd management is very important, and innocent life should not go, or people should not be suffering because of traffic. It’s very important, but certainly it requires a very detailed approach, which I’ll certainly look into.”
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
