PUDUCHERRY: Two policemen in plain clothes from the Special Branch and Law and Order Wing visited the family residence of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das on Manakula Vinayagar Street in Puducherry on Wednesday evening and allegedly questioned his mother for 15 to 20 minutes.
Speaking to TNIE, Das said the policemen arrived at around 5.30 pm and asked about others in the house, his mother's place of origin, and when and from where she had come to Puducherry.
They also allegedly visited her former workplace on SV Patel Salai, he said.
“Two hours ago, the Pondicherry Police showed up at my family’s home and subjected them to all kinds of questioning. Why this harassment, @PuducheryPolice? Who ordered this and for what purpose?” Das said in a post on X and questioned the purpose and legality of the police visit.
Pointing out that the police had visited his house shortly after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent visit, Das alleged that the BJP in Puducherry was intimidating his family.
“This is not the character of the Pondy government. This is being done at the behest of the Union government!” he added on X.
The CJP spokesperson further wrote: “If the intention is to intimidate me into silence, it will not work. This will not cower me down. It only strengthens our resolve to build a better system, one where the police uphold the law instead of acting like goondas.”
Das said it was uncharacteristic of the police to visit people's homes in such a manner without prior intimation.
He told TNIE, “We have no form of official information. Notice should have been given so that legal representation could have been arranged.”
Das said the visit came shortly after Amit Shah's recent visit to Puducherry.
Das recently announced an Independence Day campaign on X called ‘School Thik Karo’, aimed at what he described as an education revolution.
He encouraged citizens to visit nearby government schools, particularly in villages, and conduct a social audit using a checklist to be provided by the CJP.
Rejecting allegations that Das' residence had been targeted, Senior Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) R Kalaivanan told TNIE that the visit was part of routine Independence Day security checks, adding that it had nothing to do with Das or his activities.
“Houses close to the Independence Day celebration venue on Beach Road are being randomly searched, along with homestays, lodges, and hotels in the area. Teams of two or three personnel in plain clothes visit the houses and inquire,” he said.
