MP Police Association condemns Congress leader's remarks against DCP Rawat in Indore
Synopsis
A confrontation at Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' student event in Indore has turned political: Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma reportedly warned a DCP that 'governments change,' prompting the Madhya Pradesh Police Service Association to formally condemn the remarks as insulting to an officer on duty — spotlighting a broader tension between political figures and law enforcement at high-profile opposition events.
Key Takeaways
The Madhya Pradesh Indian Police Service Association issued a formal condemnation on 21 September 2026 against Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma's remarks.
DCP Narendra Rawat was on crowd-control duty at Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore on 19 September 2026 .
Verma reportedly called the DCP an 'ordinary officer' behaving like 'Singham' and said the officer should 'understand that governments change.' The association described the comments as 'indecent, objectionable and insulting' and demanded that elected representatives maintain decorum with public servants.
Videos of the altercation between the DCP and event organisers circulated online, amplifying political reactions.
The Madhya Pradesh Indian Police Service Association has strongly condemned remarks made by senior Congress leader and former minister Sajjan Singh Verma against Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Narendra Rawat of the Indore Urban Police, following a confrontation at Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore on 19 September 2026. The association, in a press note issued on Monday, 21 September, described Verma's comments as 'indecent, objectionable and insulting.'
Background: What Happened at the Event
DCP Rawat had been assigned responsibility for stage management and security arrangements at the student outreach event, which drew a heavy turnout. As a large crowd gathered inside the pandal, disrupting pre-planned arrangements, the officer intervened to manage crowd control in accordance with officially issued guidelines. Videos of the exchange between the DCP and event organisers circulated widely, triggering political reactions.
What Sajjan Singh Verma Said
Reacting to the on-stage confrontation, Verma reportedly told media that an 'ordinary officer' was behaving like 'Singham' without realising 'this is Indore, where many such officers have come and gone.' He also reportedly suggested that the officer should 'understand that governments change' — a remark widely read as an implicit warning to the police official. The association characterised these statements as an affront to a public servant performing assigned duties.
Association's Response and Demands
The Madhya Pradesh Indian Police Service Association issued a formal condemnation, emphasising that DCP Rawat was acting strictly under official instructions. The body expressed serious concern over the language directed at a serving officer and urged elected representatives to uphold decorum while interacting with or publicly commenting on public servants. It demanded that public figures maintain respectful conduct towards officials discharging their duties, warning that such remarks undermine both the dignity of the police force and the principle of institutional respect.
Wider Implications
The incident highlights a recurring tension between political figures and law enforcement at high-profile events. This is not the first time officers managing security at opposition events in Madhya Pradesh have found themselves at the centre of political controversy. The association's intervention signals growing institutional pushback against what it views as undue pressure on officers in the line of duty. With the state having witnessed a BJP-Congress tug-of-war over police conduct in recent years, the episode is likely to reverberate beyond Indore into state-level political discourse. How both sides respond in the coming days will be closely watched.
Point of View
And that ambiguity is the point. The Madhya Pradesh Police Association's swift condemnation reflects an institutional nervousness that goes beyond this single incident: officers managing opposition events in a BJP-governed state already walk a political tightrope, and public remarks that question their independence make that balance harder to maintain. What mainstream coverage tends to miss is that the real issue is not decorum — it is the chilling effect such statements can have on police neutrality at politically sensitive gatherings. If serving officers must calculate their next posting before managing a crowd, the institution loses something far more important than one DCP's dignity.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Indore?
During the student outreach programme on 19 September 2026, a large crowd disrupted pre-arranged stage management. DCP Narendra Rawat, assigned to oversee security and crowd control, intervened under official guidelines, leading to a confrontation with event organisers that was captured on video and widely shared.
What did Sajjan Singh Verma reportedly say about DCP Rawat?
Verma reportedly told media that the officer was behaving like 'Singham' without realising 'this is Indore, where many such officers have come and gone,' and suggested the officer should 'understand that governments change.' The MP Police Service Association described these remarks as indecent and insulting.
Why did the Madhya Pradesh Police Service Association intervene?
The association condemned Verma's comments because DCP Rawat was carrying out officially assigned duties at the time. It argued the remarks undermine police dignity and institutional respect, and urged elected representatives to maintain decorum when commenting on public servants on duty.
Who is DCP Narendra Rawat?
DCP Narendra Rawat is an officer of the Indore Urban Police who was assigned responsibility for stage management and security arrangements at the Rahul Gandhi event on 19 September 2026. He has not publicly commented on the controversy.
What has the association demanded following the incident?
The Madhya Pradesh Indian Police Service Association has demanded that public representatives maintain respectful behaviour towards officials performing official duties and refrain from making statements that could undermine the dignity or operational independence of the police force.
