Former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey announces entry into politics, says people of Buxar will take final call

Former Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) IPS officer Gupteshwar Pandey added that the final decision of his political future remains with the people of Buxar.

In a major development, Former Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) IPS officer Gupteshwar Pandey, who stepped down as Bihar police chief on September 22, on Wednesday announced his entry into politics. He added that the final decision of his political future remains with the people of Buxar.

Pandey, who grabbed headlines during the probe in actor Sushant Singh Rajput case, took voluntary retirement from service on September 22. He addressed a press conference on Wednesday saying that he has taken VRS from service and it was his constitutional right to do so. Pandey added that he was being hounded for the past two months and his life was becoming miserable. "I would get thousands of phone calls asking me about my retirement. I was fed up," he noted.

After the announcement of joining politics, he appealed to the people to rise above caste religion and awaken the spirit of nationalism. Revealing his future strategy on politics on social media, he said, "Taking the message of love above caste religion, I will go among the people. I have decided to enter politics. Now the situation has become such that I should enter politics. The people of Buxar will take the final decision."

"People are upset with my decision to enter public life and I am being accused," he added. Pandey attacked the casteist system asking, "Does a good person have no meaning? Why do people want to get things in the name of caste only?"

"I want to present such an example in a society where people identify a good person and not on the basis of caste. Today people run after people with money power, but good men are not valued," said Pandey.

He revealed that he had a child marriage.

The former DGP is inspired by both England and Japan. Both are developed countries and have presented an excellent example of nationalism. So they are developed, he added.

Pandey said, "Unless the spirit of surrender to the nation is there, the progress of this country is not possible. We will remain as a nation. The people of Buxar will be proud of their son." "I thank Nitish Kumar for giving me the opportunity to serve the public in a post like DGP. All the political parties supported me and I thank them," he added.

Earlier, in the press conference, Pandey said that he decided to fight against Mumbai Police after officers of Bihar Police were mistreated in Mumbai. Pandey stressed that he fought for the prestige of Bihar.

The former Bihar police chief said that his VRS should not be linked to Sushant's case and anyone doing so is committing a mistake. Pandey added that he only wanted to help Sushant's old and ailing father and Supreme Court also supported Bihar Police's decision to file an FIR in Sushant's case.

Pandey said that in his 34-year-long career he has never compromised with any criminals and was involved in over 50 encounters. "I have not joined any political party as of now and I have not taken any decision on it yet. As far as social work is concerned, I can do it without entering politics too," Pandey said.

Pandey, a 1987 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre, was openly critical of Mumbai Police in the Sushant's death case. He had also sparked a controversy when he said that actor Rhea Chakraborty didn’t have the “stature” to comment on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Notably, in 2014 Pandey had similarly requested for voluntary retirement as he was reportedly taking a plunge into politics and was hoping to get a BJP ticket. However, he did not manage to get a ticket and nine months after taking VRS, Pandey requested the Bihar government to allow him to withdraw his resignation.

His request was accepted by the Nitish Kumar-led government and the top cop joined work again. He became the DGP of Bihar Police just before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.