India, June 5 -- The Karnataka government's decision to suspend multiple senior police officers - including Bengaluru's Police Commissioner - in the aftermath of the deadly stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium has drawn sharp criticism from within the police fraternity. Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner and BJP leader Bhaskar Rao called the move "the darkest day in the history of Karnataka Police," lashing out at the Congress-led government for acting in "panic mode."

In a scathing post on X, Rao accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of using the police as scapegoats to deflect attention from administrative failures. "The suspension of the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner is the darkest day in the...