The debate surrounding the transfer of Prabhakar Chaudhary, a 2010 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, is far from over, with his father Parasnath Chaudhary, a local BJP leader in Uttar Pradesh, now alleging in a viral video that the IPS officer was transferred because he saved Bareilly from a riot-like situation. The transfer occurred hours after Mr. Prabhakar Chaudhary acted against a group of kanwariyas who wanted to take out a religious procession through an unauthorised route in Bareilly district on July 30.
Mr. Parasnath Chaudhary, who has been a BJP office-bearer for decades, said that he would now oppose the BJP, and would not let the saffron party win in at least ten to twenty villages of his home district of Ambedkar Nagar.
‘Bad result for good work’
“He [Prabhakar Chaudhary] did a commendable job in Bareilly. If he had showed any kind of neligence, 10 to 20 kanwariyas might have died, as the Muslim population is very high in the area. But he got bad result of good work. I am feeling very down,” the father said in the viral video. “I am telling you, I used to be a senior BJP office-bearer, but from now onwards will remain against the BJP. I am not too big a person but will not let BJP win in 10 to 20 villages,” he said, sitting at his home in the Hanswar locality of Ambedkar Nagar.
Mukut Bihari, a three-time MLA and senior BJP leader, who fought the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Ambedkar Nagar, confirmed to The Hindu that Mr. Chaudhary has been associated with the saffron party for a long time. “He is still the booth in-charge of the party. When I fought the 2019 polls, i went to his home, he was looking after the booth for the BJP. He is a dedicated party worker,” said Mr. Bihari, who lost the 2019 election from Ambedkar Nagar by approximately 96,000 votes.
Multiple transfers
The IPS officer, who was transferred to Lucknow on July 31 as the Commandant of the 32nd Battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), has seen multiple transfers in his 12-year career, including about 18 transfers over the last eight years. He has failed to complete even a year as a Superintendent of Police (SP) or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in most districts of U.P.
A graduate of Allahabad University in Prayagraj, Mr. Chaudhary served as SP in Deoria, Bulandshahr, Ballia, Kanpur, and Dehat, and as SSP in Agra, Varanasi, Moradabad, and Meerut, among other districts, but was transferred from most places within six to nine months of taking charge.
