What began as a public tragedy—the June 4 stampede at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives—has rapidly snowballed into a rare and overt conflict between two of India’s most elite services: the IPS and the IAS.
Following the incident, three IPS officers, including the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, were suspended, while another was transferred. However, not a single IAS officer has been touched. This stark asymmetry in punitive action has infuriated Karnataka’s police fraternity, which sees the administrative cadre walking away unscathed from a disaster they claim was jointly managed.
“The event was held despite clear warnings and lack of preparedness. How is it fair that only the police are being penalized?” asked a senior IPS officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Who Bears the Blame?
The bone of contention revolves around the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), which organized the mass felicitation event at the Vidhana Soudha. Police officials allege that city administration ignored their concerns about crowd control and time constraints.
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“Lakhs showed up, and while we were flagging logistical issues, the show went on,” the IPS officer added. Meanwhile, the IAS side maintains that their role ended at the Vidhana Soudha and that the tragic stampede took place at a separate venue, absolving them of direct responsibility.
A senior IAS officer claimed, “It was the Karnataka State Cricket Association and Royal Challengers Bengaluru who organized the stadium event, with police merely deployed for security. We had no administrative role in that part.”
A Divided Force and the Question of Impunity
Beyond finger-pointing, the feud has brought to the fore deeper systemic issues. IPS officers have accused the IAS lobby of projecting procedural compliance while shielding their own. “The IAS officers are closing ranks while we get the axe,” lamented another IPS source.
Meanwhile, the IPS Officers’ Association of Karnataka had planned to meet the Chief Minister to register their protest. The meeting was indefinitely postponed at the last minute, raising further questions about political willingness to address the discord.
As calls grow louder for holding IAS officers—including the Secretary of DPAR and Chief Secretary—accountable, Karnataka’s administrative balance hangs in the air. The incident not only exposes cracks within India’s bureaucratic elite but also demands a closer look at systemic favoritism, transparency, and the actual chain of accountability in public administration.