Errors like "Error getting authority: Error initializing authority: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1: Timeout was reached (g-io-error-quark, 24)" are seen when trying to start/stop services

Issue

• The below output is seen while trying to stop/start a service:

  # systemctl stop firewalld
  Error getting authority: Error initializing authority: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1: Timeout was reached (g-io-error-quark, 24)
  Failed to stop firewalld.service: Connection timed out
  See system logs and 'systemctl status firewalld.service' for details.
  Failed to get load state of firewalld.service: Connection timed out
  

• Several services fails to start.

• Setting hostname fails as well

# hostnamectl set-hostname hostname
Error getting authority: Error initializing authority: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1: Timeout was reached (g-io-error-quark, 24)
Could not set property: Connection timed out