A major row erupted in Karnataka over a circular issued by the police department barring the police personnel from wearing or sporting any symbols of religious significance. The circular issued by Bengaluru DCP Kishore Babu of City Armed Reserve to his force, barring them from applying vibhuti-kumkum (sacred ash and red turmeric powder) on their forehead or tying sacred threads on their hands, all religious symbols have erupted in a major controversy. According DCP it violated the police manual and also barred women from wearing ear rings and bangles, as the police manual doesn't allow it.
The opposition BJP was quick to create a row over this and says the circular was biased and does not mention Muslim officers growing beards or fasting during Ramzan. The saffron party also says it doesn't bar Muslims from praying on Fridays during office hours, Christians from wearing cross chains, or Sikhs from wearing turbans.
The circular does not mention about officers of a certain religious community growing beards or fasting during certain holy month or bar them from professing their religion by praying on Fridays during office hours. Wearing other religious symbols like the cross, turbans, kadas also fail to qualify as religious bias. Incidentally, the police manual also fails to cover these aspects.
BJP MP and state general secretary Shobha Karandlaje took strong exception to the circular issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration) barring the police personnel from wearing or sporting any symbols of religious significance.
She said in a statement that the BJP was of the firm view that this circular is an affront and demeaning to the constabulary in general and women police constables in particular. "We are also of the view that this circular in question has come out of sick and perverse thinking, obviously directed by some pseudo-secular leader in the establishment belonging to the ruling Congress" she added.
She said "Whether the police personnel are impartial or not; whether they are biased or not; whether they are fair or not are matters of evaluation based on their conduct, behaviour and performance during discharging their duties and responsibilities and not on the basis of the religious symbols they sport".
According to her the argument being put forth that "religion and religious symbols should be a private affair" must be applicable to all religions. By being selective in targeting Hindu religious symbols, the Congress government has demonstrated that it is anti-Hindu.
"BJP is of the view that this circular is nothing but an unabashed and brazen attempt of the Congress government to appease the minorities and indulge in vote-bank politics", she said. She has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the controversial circular.