THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An Additional Sub-Inspector (ASI) was caught on CCTV camera destroying the flag post of the BJP at Ooruttambalam Junction under Maranalloor police station limits in Thiruvananthapuram.The CCTV footage released to the media by the BJP state office show Maranalloor ASI Suresh Kumar arriving in a police jeep along with another policeman by 1.06 am on Wednesday and vandalising the flag post installed on the wayside.
The other policeman could be seen watching from a distance. There had been complaints of BJP flag posts being destroyed in the area for the past few weeks. BJP had also filed a complaint with the police, but no action has been taken hitherto.Protesting the incident, BJP workers took out a march to the Maranalloor police station. Inaugurating the march, BJP state chief Kummanam Rajasekharan said the Maranalloor ASI who destroyed the flagstaff should be immediately removed and arrested for trying to fan a riot.
“No law enforcing officer can stoop this low. Such a criminal is a disgrace to the entire police force. If the policeman wants to be a party worker he should hang his uniform first,” he said. Kummanam called upon the Chief Minister to ensure the police officer is immediately dismissed. “A complaint has been filed with the DGP in this regard,” he said. BJP district president S Suresh, Mukkampalammoodu Biju, Malayinkeezhu Radhakrishnan, Eruthavoor Chandran and Kattakkada Mandalam president S Santhosh were present.
ASI suspended
In the wake of mounting protests, Southern Range IG Manoj Abraham has suspended the ASI Suresh Kumar. Thiruvananthapuram Rural SP P Ashok Kumar told Express he had asked the Special Branch DySP to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report by Friday. “As I was busy with the rehearsals in connection with the President’s visit, I am unaware of the details. When the incident was brought to my notice, I called for a probe. In case the officer is found guilty, he will face disciplinary action,” he said.
Police have become the ‘B’ team of CPM: Kummanam
Kummanam Rajasekharan said the state police have become the ‘B’ team of the CPM. He said the policemen were being used to trigger riots in the state by destroying the BJP flag posts and other campaign materials. “If the flag post was illegal and had to be removed from the wayside, it should have been done following proper procedures. But he did it under the cover of darkness. Also, there were other flagposts of various other parties and organisations there. This shows they were acting as CPM activists,” he said. Kummanam said it was a disgrace to the entire police force. “The CPM is even using the police as ‘quotation gangs’ to contain political opponents,” he said.