Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Delhi police should have shown restraint before carrying out “searches” at New Delhi’s Kerala House. Chandy termed the matter as “unfortunate”.
A call by a person claiming to belong to a fringe right- wing group on Monday afternoon complaining that beef was being served at the Kerala House canteen had seen Delhi police personnel rush to the state-run guest house in the national capital.
Reacting to the episode, the Kerala chief minister said some people were unnecessarily creating a row over the beef ban. He added that his government would take up the issue of Delhi police’s action with the Centre after collecting details.
Kerala House is not a private hotel or an institution run for making profit. It is an official guest house of the state government. The police action was really unfortunate. They should have shown some restraint before carrying out searches.
Oommen Chandy, Kerala Chief Minister
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala echoed Chandy, saying the incident amounted to an infringement of the powers of the state. The Kerala government would soon send a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to register their protest over the issue, he added.
Strong reactions poured-in from opposition parties as well in Kerala. Former Defence Minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony said, “It is the individual’s freedom to decide what to eat and wear, and that freedom should not be infringed upon.”
The CPI(M), too, condemned the police action with party politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan alleging that the searches at the state-run guest house was part of a Sangh Parivar agenda.
“The same forces who killed Mohd Akhlaq in Dadri are behind the raid at Kerala House also. The raid at state-run guest house is a warning that they will barge into any kitchen in the country,” he alleged in a Facebook post.
“There is neither any ban on beef in Delhi nor any restriction to cook or sell it at Kerala House. The Delhi police’s illegal action, according to communal forces, is part of the Sangh Parivar agenda,” he added.
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