THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an embarrassment to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, it has come to light that an RSS local leader who presented a decorative turban to him near Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple on Saturday was the prime accused in the murder of a DYFI leader.
T. Santhosh, a local ‘sashakaryavahak’ of RSS, put a Hyderabadi turban on the union home minister as he was about to enter his vehicle after visiting the temple. Santhosh, who was the prime accused in DYFI leader V.V. Vishnu's daylight murder that rocked the state capital on April 1, 2008, even managed to greet the minister and pose for photograph with him.
Top police sources said that the incident could not be considered as a security breach on the part of the state police as the state police had little role in deciding who all should meet the home minister, especially during a private visit. The officer on special duty of the minister, an inspector attached to the UP police and the National Security Guard officials were in charge of the close proximity security of Mr. Singh and they decided who all should meet and greet the minister. “Only in case the union home minister’s office sought the details of any person, we need to give a report. Moreover, Santhosh greeting the minister was not pre-scheduled,” said the source.
City police commissioner H. Venkatesh also maintained that there was no lapse on the part of the police in providing security to the minister. BJP state president Mr. V. Muraleedharan told DC that he was not aware of the issue.
Santhosh was an active RSS leader for over the last many years and he was also former chairman of MG college union. Vishnu was murdered by a gang of RSS leaders to take revenge on the attack on an RSS office at West Fort. The police have already filed a chargesheet and the trial is expected to commence soon.
A top police officer also said that since many political activists are accused in political crime cases, the union home minister may not consider the issue seriously. Moreover, his visit to the state was in connection with the murder of RSS activist Kathiroor Manoj, who was also involved in serious political crimes, said the officer.
