A Sub Inspector of Police attached to the Muthupettai Police Station in Tiruvarur district has stirred a controversy by putting up a flex board hailing Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s victory in the Assembly election.
The board installed earlier this week at the prominent Aduthurai Bazaar area near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district has since been removed.
The flex board had the photographs of a smiling Ms. Jayalalithaa and the Sub Inspector A.G. Ravi in uniform with the caption that the officer felt “immensely pleased to serve during the golden rule of the Chief Minister again.”
Mr. Ravi (57) is undergoing practical training consequent to his promotion in December. A native of Aduthurai, he acknowledged to The Hindu over phone that the board was kept by his friends at his behest and that the caption was written by him, but he did not have any political affiliation. “The board was kept purely on my personal wish and as a gesture to thank the Chief Minister,” he said.
Mr. Ravi, who has been working in Tiruvarur district since 1994, said he had also installed a flex board when “Kalaignar” Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister. Also, he had kept a board after obtaining permission when Ms. Jayalalithaa visited Thanjavur in 2005.
‘Bad precedent’
The inspector’s action drew criticism from activists. “It sets a bad precedent. Very strong action needs to be taken to curb such actions. How will such a police officer take action against ruling AIADMK men when they do something wrong,” asks Siva Elango, president, Satta Panchayat Iyakkam.
Mr. Elango pointed out that in the run-up to the Assembly elections, Peer Mohammed, who was then serving as an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Chennai, had applied for an AIADMK ticket.
People’s Union for Civil Liberties general secretary V. Suresh, said, “Public servants derive their power from the Constitution and not from the executive. They have a duty to serve the government, not the political leaders.”
According to him, the Chief Minister must clearly demonstrate that she would not allow her office to be devalued.
Disciplinary action sought
The DGP must initiate disciplinary action against the officer, which will serve as a warning to others.
Justifying the action, he says he had installed a board when Karunanidhi was Chief Minister
