Bangalore police commissioner’s dress code diktat for bar girls has split the excise and home departments. Excise minister MP Renukacharya has asked police chief Shankar Bidari to “stay away from affairs inside bars” that fall under the jurisdiction of his department.

Expressing displeasure over Bidari’s code guidelines for bar girls, Renukacharya said the police chief should stop interfering in the excise department’s business. “Bidari’s duty is to look after the law and order situation. He has no powers to issue guidelines to be followed by bars and pubs in the city.”

“The city police commissioner’s duty is to give protection from outside. It is the duty of the excise department to look after issues related to business aspects inside bars and pubs. I will not allow the police to get inside and dictate terms. I am here to manage it as the boss of the excise department,”said Renukacharya.

Interestingly, the dress code for bar girls falls in a grey area between the jurisdictions of the home and excise departments.
While police commissioner Bidari issued the guidelines under the Karnataka Police Act (1963), the Karnataka Excise Act (1965) empowers the excise department to enforce dress code of bartenders and regulate bars and pubs.

Renukacharya has decided to take the issue up with chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and chief secretary SV Ranganath. “We will hold a meeting with home and finance secretary and file our objections by Wednesday,” he said.

“We have done nothing against the prevailing law of the land. What we did was within the framework of local laws and special laws existing in the state,” Bidari said.

In a statement, Bidari said guidelines were based on a draft order which does not impinge upon the duties of the excise department.

It was done after considering suggestions and objections received from members of the public, including bar owners.

The draft order was issued with the approval of the state as it was through the home department. “It has been gazetted as per the orders issued by the home department,” he said. The final order will be made only after it is approved by the government, including the inputs from the excise minister, he said.

“If any person is still aggrieved with the final order, he may approach the high court,” he said.