Shimla: The simmering unease within the Himachal Pradesh Police has spilled into the open, putting Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s much-touted “Vyavastha Parivartan” (system change) narrative under sharp scrutiny.
In a strongly-worded resolution passed by the Himachal Police Service (HPS) Officers’ Association, serious concerns have been raised over the functioning of the police leadership, particularly targeting Director General of Police Ashok Tiwari.
Himachal Police Service Officers’ Association has openly passed a resolution against its own DGP, marking an unprecedented show of dissent within the force.
This is not an isolated flashpoint. Last year too, cracks had surfaced when the Shimla SP publicly raised concerns against senior police leadership in connection with the controversial Vimal Negi death case and the much-talked-about “samosa probe” row—episodes that had already put the functioning of the top brass under the scanner.
Together, these incidents point to a deepening fault line within the police setup under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s tenure, raising serious questions over internal cohesion and command structure and CM’s style of functioning.
The trigger: alleged “humiliating and arbitrary” action against a DSP during a recent visit by the DGP to Sirmaur district. The association claims the officer was publicly reprimanded without due process—an act it says has “deeply dented morale” across ranks.
But this isn’t just about one incident.
The HPS body has accused the DGP of fostering a culture of fear and “public shaming,” claiming that repeated instances of harsh behaviour, verbal outbursts, and “non-professional conduct” are eroding discipline rather than strengthening it. Officers argue that leadership by intimidation is pushing the force towards internal breakdown.
More worryingly, the association has warned that such an environment is directly impacting policing on the ground. From SHOs to SDPOs, officers are said to be working under constant pressure, affecting decision-making, response time, and public service delivery.
The resolution also flags a deeper institutional concern—alleged disregard for established service norms and hierarchical dignity. It calls the current atmosphere “demoralising” and cautions that continued friction within the force could weaken law enforcement at a time when the state faces rising challenges, including drug menace and law-and-order pressures.
In an unprecedented move, the association has appealed to the state government to intervene immediately, review the functioning of the top leadership, and restore “professional decorum and accountability” in the police setup.
The development has now snowballed into a political flashpoint, with the opposition citing it as proof that the government’s promise of systemic reform is “cracking from within.”
For a government that came to power promising transformation, the unrest inside its own police force raises a blunt question: is “Vyavastha Parivartan” turning into administrative turbulence?
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