Former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Vijay Kumar retired from his position about two months ago. On Monday, he and his wife Anupama Kumar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They were welcomed into the party by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and others at the BJP office in Lucknow. Kumar, who served as a DGP and is a 1988-batch IPS officer, mentioned that he had been considering entering politics for a while, but his previous commitments prevented him from doing so. Both he and his wife come from non-political backgrounds and are ready to take on any responsibilities assigned to them by the party leadership.
During an interview with The Indian Express after the induction ceremony, Kumar expressed his belief that the law and order situation had improved under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He attributed this improvement to facilitating development and providing relief to the common man. Kumar stated that their decision to join the BJP was driven by a desire to contribute to further improvement and service to the nation.
Regarding his potential candidacy in the Lok Sabha elections, Kumar did not provide a specific answer. Instead, he mentioned that he would follow the leadership’s direction on the matter. Kumar, originally from Jhansi, served as the state DGP from May 31, 2023, to January 31, 2024. During his tenure, he garnered attention for advising police officers to monitor the phases of the moon using the 'Panchang' or Hindu calendar to maintain security. He believed that there are certain periods when criminals are more active and instructed the police to identify crime hotspots and increase night patrolling.
Several other retired IPS officers in Uttar Pradesh have also joined the BJP, including Asim Arun, who currently serves as a minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led state government.
