Chennai: Political split wide open in khaki
The officer was one of the few in the police department who hoped that DMK would be back to power.
Chennai: Lobbying on political line is nothing new in Tamil Nadu police department. But this election had exposed many, when they overstepped the permissible limit of leaning towards the DMK. The split among top IPS officers was visible and it created tension within the department, which should be functioning professionally and not politically.
After the victory of AIADMK, more skeletons are tumbling out of police department cupboard about how certain serving officers, some placed in high positions in state police headquarters, had not only leaned towards DMK but had also ‘campaigned’ in their own way to put their favourite leaders back in power.
Grapevine is that an officer in the rank of DGP on Thursday morning, as soon as the counting started, called up one of his juniors and instructed him to get the escort and security vehicles ready to go to Gopalapuram, where DMK leader Karunanidhi resides.
The officer was one of the few in the police department who hoped that DMK would be back to power. But by 11 am others in the police headquarters informed him escort and high security vehicles would remain at Poes Garden, where AIADMK chief J.Jayalalithaa stays. Of course, the officer had planned and made many moves. The same officer reportedly stripped an officer in the rank of IG, transferred by EC, of his official car when the latter was heading home. The IG was asked to alight midway and forced to take a cab home at that night. The DGP was making it clear that he was not going to entertain any officer believed to be faithful to the ruling party. It looks like he had already made up his mind to be with DMK believing the lobby of IPS officers secretly creating an illusion that Karunanidhi is going to be CM after 2016 assembly elections.
When DMK treasurer M. K. Stalin said he has the list of pro-AIADMK cops, Karunanidhi was quick to make amends by saying that no political vendetta will be on officers. May be, he had this officer in mind when he said so, sources said.
Sources also said at least two officers - one in the rank of DGP and the other an inspector general – had took a break from their respective offices in Chennai and camped in certain districts to help certain DMK MLA aspirants in campaigning. “Of course, they had nothing to with election related works. But they toured certain areas in official vehicles to help campaigning,” sources said.