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Dhanya Rajendran

Real reasons behind Bengaluru police commissioner’s suspension

Amit Shah B Dayananda Police Bharatiya Janata Party Bengaluru CM Dhanya Rajendran Pooja Prasanna RCB Shabbir Ahmed

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, and Pooja Prasanna. After the shocking suspension of Bengaluru Commissioner of Police B Dayananda, we spoke to sources in the police and those close to CM Siddaramaiah. One of the main reasons for his suspension is not known in the public domain, we realised. We also found out that it was the results of a previous survey that made the CM agree to attend the RCB victory celebration at the Vidhana Soudha. In Tamil Nadu, BJP leaders told Powertrip what transpired in the meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Madurai.

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The real reason for the Bengaluru Commissioner’s suspension

The suspension of Bengaluru Commissioner of Police B Dayananda has come as a shock to many. Within the force, it’s being seen as a move to scapegoat the police, leading to growing concerns about morale. Former IPS officers have also written to the government, voicing their concern.

Though Dayananda’s management of the entire event was a primary concern (which we will detail later), it was compounded by comments the police officer apparently made to journalists, which particularly incensed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Sources in the police and those close to the CM indicate that on the day of the stampede, Dayananda engaged in informal conversations with several journalists. During these exchanges, he reportedly claimed to have previously informed both the government and the CM that the event was unmanageable. While the precise details of these remarks vary, individuals close to the CM suggest that one journalist relayed this specific claim to him, triggering his displeasure.

Another reason the CM was upset was that while the Commissioner did express reservations about the police being unable to manage large crowds, he did not convey it directly to the CM. Instead, he informed Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and the CM’s political secretary, Govindraj.

“Since Govindraj had been conveying messages to the CM for years, it was assumed he would have passed on the Commissioner’s message as well,” a source close to Siddaramaiah said.

However, Dayananda reportedly failed to raise the issue even during the morning briefing with the CM on the day of the event. Whether he assumed Govindraj had already conveyed it or he didn’t want to contradict Govindaraj is unclear.

What makes the equation complicated is that Dayananda is the President of the Karnataka State Basketball Association while Govindaraj is the President of FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball) Asia. The two are believed to be close. Govindaraj has since been sacked as the CM’s political secretary.

The final reason is the multiple lapses on the ground. The lack of barricades on roads leading to Chinnaswamy Stadium and Vidhana Soudha, and failure to position ambulances properly.

The police did not request additional deployment, including from the reserve force, and failed to coordinate with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on how many stadium gates would be opened that day.

Dayanand, a senior officer close to Siddaramaiah, had previously served as Police Commissioner of Mysuru and as head of the Intelligence Department — both positions typically held by the CM’s trusted officers. He had just completed two years in the Bengaluru post on May 31 and there were plans to extend his tenure.

How Siddaramaiah was convinced to join the RCB celebration at Vidhana Soudha

At the start of his current term, internal surveys reportedly indicated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lacked strong personal connect with young voters, something that has been on his mind for a while.

In June 2024, a telling moment occurred: Siddaramaiah, a known cricket fan, was seen watching the India vs South Africa T20 World Cup final on his tablet while waiting at Delhi airport. The clip was shared by the Congress party’s social media team and quickly gained traction among young cricket fans. Since then, T20 cricket, particularly the IPL, has been viewed by the CM and his close aides as an easy and effective way to build appeal among youth.

According to sources, this is exactly the line of reasoning Siddaramaiah’s political secretary Govindraj used to persuade the CM to not only attend the RCB victory celebration, but to allow it to be held at the steps of Vidhana Soudha.

Did Amit Shah approve of factionalism in TN BJP?

The recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Madurai has provided much needed clarity to the leaders of the Tamil Nadu BJP. Shah’s message was clear: focus on winning the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and strengthening the party. This comes at a time when the state BJP is witnessing a factional feud between newly appointed state president Nainar Nagendran and former president Annamalai. The new state chief’s stern warning against ‘war room’ politics has not gone down well with ‘Team Annamalai’.

In this backdrop, following Shah’s visit to Madurai and his address at the core committee meeting, a couple of media houses carried news articles on what he reportedly said. One prominent Tamil daily, Dinamalar, which is aligned with the right wing, published a story claiming that Shah approved of factionalism in the party. The article quoted Shah as saying, “When leaders are created, it is natural that there will be factionalism, and in a way it is good for the party’s growth.”

TNM spoke to at least four top BJP leaders, all of whom denied that Shah made any such remark. A senior BJP leader told TNM that no national leader will encourage factionalism within the party and said that the article was an attempt to “manufacture consent”.

Addressing the core committee members, Shah mainly focused on strengthening the party at the grassroots level and ensuring that the alliance with the AIADMK remains intact. What surprised many in the meeting was that he referred to AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami as a “dynamic” leader.

Shah also told party leaders not to worry about the alliance, assuring them that he is personally handling alliance-related issues and is in touch with leaders from several parties. However, what puzzled several BJP core committee members was his cryptic remark that “there will be no DMK six months after the 2026 elections.”