Security lapse: Kerala home dept draws flak at UDF meet

, Nov 2: Kerala Home department is receiving flak from all directions for the alleged lapses on the part of them in ensuring adequate security to Chief Minister

in Kannur recently. At the

liaison committee meet held here on Friday, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan was summoned at the instance of KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala.

In spite of Chandy maintaining that there was no security lapses as such, a stern directive was issued to the Home Minister amid rising tempers that fool-proof measures shall be put in place for beefing up the security of the Chief Minister and ministers and prevent recurrence of unsavoury incidents in future, reports the New Indian Express.

The meet also directed to revamp the police team in Kannur district, pointing out that there is severe criticism that the same apparatus put in place by the LDF Government is holding reign in the region.

The Home Minister assured UDF leaders that if anyone in the department was found to have erred in his duties or connived to facilitate the untoward incidents in Kannur, strict action would be initiated against them irrespective of their status in the force.

Representatives of smaller coalition partners lashed out at the Home Minister and wondered what will happen to those like them if even the Chief Minister could not be insulated from attacks.

R Balakrishna Pillai (KC-B), C P John (CMP), Johnny Nellore (KC-Jacob), K Francis George (KC-M) and A N Rajan Babu (JSS) were in the forefront with criticism.

The police have failed to prevent the attacks and when the CPM offices are provided adequate protection, the Congress offices have been left vulnerable to vandalism, it was charged.

They also demanded that disciplinary action should be taken against the cop who had driven a heavy vehicle in front of the motorcade of Chandy in Kannur and the officer who had leaked the route map of the Chief Minister. Incidentally, the KPCC president maintained a guarded silence.

Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said that direction was given to provide adequate protection to offices of all political parties.
He also dismissed media reports suggesting that there was an intelligence report on likely attacks against the Chief Minister in Kannur.

"There was no such report. Strong security cover was provided to the CM in Kannur. But what happened was borne from the commotion created by groupings of Congressmen and LDF at adjacent places," Thiruvanchoor said.

At the outset of the meet, KC-B representative C Venugopalan Nair aired the protest of his party on the non-induction of K B Ganesh Kumar into the Cabinet.

Oneindia News

(with agency inputs)