T P Senkumar plays politics: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has lashed out at  former state police chief T. P. Senkumar saying that he was playing politics and veering towards the RSS camp.  Mr Vijayan made the remarks  when Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan alleged that even Mr Senkumar had to seek police protection as he faced threats from a youth organisation. Mr Radhakrishnan had  moved an adjournment motion in the Assembly onTuesday on the law and order situation in the state.

“It was not right for an officer to play politics,” Mr Vijayan said and  reminded the Congress benches that Mr  Senkumar had  left the UDF camp.  Hinting that Mr Senkumar was coming closer to the BJP, Mr Vijayan asked the Congress to check his present position as  he was trying to get a posting elsewhere. Mr Vijayan said action had been initiated against 171 persons under the Kerala Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAPA) in the last nine months, after the LDF government came to power. But it had decided not  to slap KAPA on  political activists.

While replying to the Opposition's charges that about 1,75,000 criminal cases had been registered after the LDF  government came to power, the chief minister said the number of cases had  increased as the police stations had become more people-friendly.  He also rejected the allegation that the government was planning to give remission to 1,850 prisoners as part of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the state formation. The decision to give remission to selected prisoners was taken as per the existing guidelines, he said.

The culprits involved in cases connected with national security, drug trafficking,  Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and accused in crimes against women and children would not be given any exemption. Moreover, in the case of prisoners serving life sentence, remission will be given only to those who have completed 14 years.  After his reply, Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan refused leave for the motion, following which the UDF members walked out of the House. BJP member O. Rajagopal and Kerala Congress (M)-led by former finance minister K.M. Mani also walked out in protest against the government's refusal to take up the matter.