Thiruvananthapuram | Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday said threats against police personnel would not be tolerated and assured that any wrongdoing by law enforcement officials would be investigated and action taken.
He was referring to the protests organised by the CPI(M) and its affiliated organisations against police over the lathicharge at the Kerala University Men's Hostel here on September 30 following a clash between Youth Congress and SFI activists.
During a protest, CPI(M) leader and MLA V Joy allegedly threatened police officers.
The CPI(M) on Saturday released a phone conversation recording in which a Sub Inspector was allegedly heard threatening an SFI leader.
Chennithala told reporters that neither threats against police personnel nor attempts to intimidate them would be accepted, while stressing that police misconduct would also be dealt with according to law.
"I am not justifying what the Sub Inspector said. If the police make a mistake, without any doubt, action will be taken after verification," he said.
Referring to V Joy, the minister said a senior leader who is also an MLA and party district secretary should not have made remarks threatening police officers with murder.
"On what provocation is he saying that police officers will be murdered? I heard his words. Whether said by him or by the Sub Inspector, none of it is correct," he said.
Chennithala recalled that when UDF was in opposition, its leaders and workers had faced police action during the previous 10 years but had never threatened officers or marched to their residences.
"How many times were our workers beaten up on the streets? Did any of us threaten the police officers? A senior leader like Joy, who is a party district secretary and an MLA, should not have said such things," he said.
He also criticised attempts to intimidate police officers by holding protests outside their homes, saying such actions could affect their families, including their parents.
"What about those living in the homes of police officers? What about their parents? That is not the right course of action," he said.
The minister said Education Minister V Sivankutty and SFI leaders had met him and that he had assured them that the police lathicharge incident will be investigated.
"I told them that all this can be investigated; the police have no intention to forcibly beat or arrest anyone. But the law will take its course," he said.
Stressing that police personnel were duty-bound to uphold the law irrespective of the government in power, Chennithala said insulting, humiliating or assaulting them would not be accepted.
"Do not think you can beat the police and crush their morale," he said.
He reiterated that the government would not shield police personnel if any wrongdoing was established after an inquiry.
