From police constables to officers in the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Punjab Police Service (PPS), individuals in uniform have emerged as social media influencers, prominently displaying the Punjab Police emblem on their shoulders. Across various social media platforms, these influencers, despite a prior order from the state Director General of Police (DGP), continue to share diverse content, including singing and ‘modelling’ while donning their uniforms.
The DGP had previously issued a directive cautioning officers against showcasing themselves “modelling in uniform” after the Punjab Home Department emphasized the unauthorized use of the police emblem on social media. However, this order seems to have had minimal impact, as police officials persist in uploading short videos and reels, often featuring popular Punjabi songs as background music. Female officers are observed engaging in catwalks in uniform, while their male counterparts post videos showcasing confident strides or lip-syncing to Punjabi tunes, earning them substantial online followings.
Remarkably, despite the official Punjab Police Instagram handle amassing 76,000 followers, the ‘Punjab_police_women2’ Instagram account, claiming to be the official government account, boasts over 80,000 followers. Numerous similar pages showcase glamorous reels of police officials, generating thousands of reactions and comments.
Moreover, many officers use their personal social media pages to share reels depicting their work, occasionally even within the office premises.
In response to this trend, the DGP’s office issued a letter on May 22, 2022, to all police heads in the state, reinforcing the instruction for police officials to refrain from activities that bring disrepute to the uniform, specifically highlighting ‘modelling in uniform’ for publicity and posting objectionable pictures on social media. The letter urged strict compliance within their respective commands and warned of actions in accordance with relevant rules against any official found violating these instructions.
