Kerala top official writes to MHA on police action in beef row

NEW DELHI: The resident commissioner of Kerala wrote a letter to the Union home ministry and the Delhi government on Wednesday, complaining about Monday's police action at Kerala House after a phone call alleged that it had been serving beef. Delhi government sources said they are seeking legal opinion and will submit their report to MHA very soon.

Kerala chief minister Oomen Chandy and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to express their opinions. Reacting to the statement issued by Kejriwal on Tuesday condemning the action and expressing support by AAP members in the dharna outside Kerala House by MPs, Chandy tweeted on Wednesday: "Thanks to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for supporting Kerala during the Delhi Police raid at Kerala House." To this Kejriwal responded: "Divisional commissioner of Delhi is also preparing a fact finding report. Delhi government will take strong action on that report."

While Aam Aadmi Party has demandeed the resignation of police commissioner B S Bassi over the issue, the government said that the law quoted by Bassi to justify police action actually does not give the cops power to enter premises.

"The commissioner has cited a law under which police did not have the power to enter. The relevant law provides powers only to the Delhi animal husbandry department to carry out searches. The law cited by him is the Delhi Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act, 1994. Section 11 of this Act, which deals with power of entry, search and seizure states that for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this Act the competent authority, who in this case is the director animal husbandry or the veterinary officer, shall have the power to enter and inspect any premises," said a government official.

Sources said that the provisions of the Act made it clear that the police had no jurisdiction to enter Kerala House and they would report this to MHA.

"The commissioner, by his false statement, has only further added to the shameful conduct of Delhi Police, which is bringing a bad name to the national capital. AAP demands that the MHA should order an impartial probe into the entire matter. We strongly condemn the false statement given by the police commissioner and his attempts to mislead the country by citing a law under which his force had no power," said party's Delhi unit convener Ashutosh.