A photo of Balmukund Acharya sitting in the SHO's chair at Ramganj police station goes viral; Congress and a former police officer say the act is disrespectful and wrong
JAIPUR — A photo of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Balmukund Acharya sitting in the chair of the Station House Officer (SHO) at Ramganj Police Station in this Rajasthan city has gone viral on social media. In the image, SHO-level officers from Ramganj, Galta Gate, and Manak Chowk police stations can be seen sitting in front of the MLA.
The incident took place on Sunday when Acharya, the MLA from the city’s Hawa Mahal constituency, visited the police station to discuss safety arrangements for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra.
During the meeting, the MLA gave instructions to police officials regarding traffic management, parking spots, and shutting down meat shops along the yatra route. He also made a phone call to the Jaipur Heritage Municipal Commissioner, asking for road cleaning, repairs, and fixing of street lights.
The act of the MLA sitting in the SHO’s chair and issuing orders has received strong reactions from the opposition and former police officers.
Congress leader Tekaram Jooli, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajasthan, condemned the MLA’s action on social media. On platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “People of Hawa Mahal are shocked by the MLA’s behaviour. Is he a respected lawmaker or a police officer? The public chooses MLAs for policy making, not for showing power and disrespecting the Constitution and law.”
Retired DGP Dr Ravi Prakash Meharda also criticised the act. He said, “Public representatives must behave with dignity. The SHO is the face of the police at the ground level. It is wrong for an MLA to sit in a chair meant for a senior police officer. This harms the police’s image. Leaders must show restraint.”
The photo has started a debate on social media about respect for rules and the role of elected representatives. Many users have also raised questions about the silence of police officers present during the meeting.
So far, there has been no official comment from Balmukund Acharya or the Jaipur Police Department.
