Bengaluru cop wears black armband, holds Ambedkar photo to protest B Dayananda's suspension, arrested

Clad in full uniform, Bengaluru constable of Madiwala Police Station walked from Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan, wearing a black armband.

In a display of dissent from within the police ranks, a Bengaluru head constable staged a one-man protest on Friday, expressing dismay over the suspension of Police Commissioner B Dayananda in the wake of the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede that claimed 11 lives earlier this week, India Today reported.

The constable was taken into custody by the Vidhana Soudha police on Friday and later released on station bail.(X/@FollowAkshay1)

He was taken into custody by the Vidhana Soudha police on Friday and later released on station bail.

Clad in full uniform, Head Constable Narasimharaju of Madiwala Police Station walked from Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan, wearing a black armband and holding aloft a portrait of Dr BR Ambedkar, the report further added.

The rare public protest by a serving officer drew attention from both passersby and officials. 

Suspension sparks outrage

The suspension of Dayananda, regarded by many as one of the more competent officers in recent years, has sparked outrage across political and public spheres. While the government has justified the action citing administrative lapses that led to the fatal stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, critics have accused it of scapegoating the police to deflect responsibility.

The BJP swiftly weighed in on the head constable’s protest, calling it a reflection of the growing unrest within the force. “Even those tasked with upholding the law are disillusioned. This is a betrayal of the police by the Congress government,” the party posted on social media.

Since the suspension, social media platforms have seen a groundswell of support for Dayananda, with hashtags like #IStandWithBDayanand trending across platforms. Many users described the move as politically motivated and unjust.