Asks Jacob to do a Kejriwal
T P Senkumar
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Continuing his attack on his IPS colleague Jacob Thomas for his open stand in the bar bribery case, state police chief T.P. Senkumar said in a Facebook post that if an officer’s moral indignation goes beyond the limits prescribed by the law, he should follow persons like Arvind Kejriwal by quitting the service and contest the elections. “There are many officers who reacted and acted against unlawful activities boldly by being within the allowed limits.
It the moral indignation goes beyond that limit, one should come out of service like Kejriwal or Y.P. Singh or Ajit Joy....Even in Kerala there are officers who won by acting within the system.
Officials can be whistleblowers. Opinions could be made on files and official meetings, or they could even approach the court. If moral indignity goes beyond that, one can go out of the system like Kejriwal and form parties and contest elections.
No one is against this,” said Mr. Senkumar on the official FB page of the state police chief. He also cautioned that it was illegal to be fascinated to momentary applause without giving genuine thoughts.
Mr. Senkumar put the post on Thursday as a clarification to a series of criticisms on the social media after he posted on Wednesday the section of the All-India Service Rules that prescribed the restriction on officers criticising the government. However, the clarification also invited criticisms with many supporting Mr Jacob Thomas’s stand.
Mr. Senkumar said in his post that during their 30 to 35 years of service, many police officers would come across lots of things. But the All-India Service Rules restrict officers from speaking on certain matters to the media.
Telling the media one’s own opinions surpassing the services rules was a violation of such rules. “Governments used to withdraw thousands of cases, many of which were surpassing the objections of police officers. If each officer goes to the press against the government, what would be the situation?” Mr. Senkumar also asked whether in any other sectors officials could openly speak the truth against the decisions of the managements.
Even in political parties, which do not have such restrictions, leaders not able to speak against party policies. “Who can admit the demand by some officers for a freedom that could open the doors to anarchy, a freedom that media or political parties even did not enjoy,” Mr. Senkumar asked.
He also reminded that the media would give prominence only to the statements of officers that cause discomfort to the government. After retirement, such statements may not have many takers, he said.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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