Chennai: The deployment of senior IPS officers as House Marshals in Watch and Ward (all-whites) uniform to evict the DMK legislators causing ruckus during the trust vote in the Assembly is ‘termed’ as a legislative privilege of the Speaker by political commentators.
A section of IPS officers faulted the senior officers of having violated the service rules which bars the IPS officials from wearing any other uniform except khakhis at all the times, though.
“When the Inspector level officers could not execute the orders of the Speaker to evict the DMK MLAs, the Speaker held a meeting with COP S. George and DGP T.K. Rajendran, and the orders were issued in concurrence. Therefore, obedience to the order promulgated by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat would supersede the service rules.
The permission will be deemed as special duty requiring them to wear Watch & Ward uniform. The legislative privilege is invoked in allowing senior IPS officers into the Assembly in House Marshal’s uniform. The Watch and Ward duty is usually awarded upto the rank of Inspector who has experience and training.
The moment he enters the house, the official will cease to be a policeman and will be at the discretion of the Speaker for the conduct of the Assembly,” said a senior police official requesting anonymity.
On Saturday, the Assembly Secretariat had requested the City Police to double the number of House Marshals. The only precedent of IPS officers entering the Assembly took place 3 decades ago during the floor test of the then CM Janaki. It is Walter Isaac Devaram, the then COP of Chennai City in 1988, and he also became the first person to enter the Assembly in Khakhis.
“The then bureaucrats present discouraged me from going inside as they stated it would disrupt the sanctity of the Assembly. I was more Police. I heard the then Speaker PH. Pandian calling for help repeatedly. I saw the charged-up atmosphere going out of hands. I entered the Assembly, and my constables followed me. We took control of the situation,” Devaram told DC. Devaram was taken to Court, which dropped breach of privilege action initiated against him, and upheld his intentions as legitimate to enter the Assembly.
