Vet, not police, could inspect Herala House, Chandy tells PM

The appropriate authority to inspect the serving of beef in New Delhi's Kerala House was a veterinary officer and not Delhi Police, Kerala Chief Minister Ooommen Chandy has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chandy said here on Thursday that he has written a second letter to Modi over the police raid at the Kerala House in the national capital city which has created much political upheaval.

"The first letter was the formal expression of protest and today's letter is one which points out the provisions as per the rules laid down," Chandy said.

"It's under the Delhi Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act, 1994. The appropriate authority -- the veterinary officer -- should first give (notice) in writing and then enter the Kerala House to conduct an inspection," the chief minister said.

"In the act, the Delhi Police's role is to search the vehicles at the entry point if it carries cattle for slaughter. The rules are very, very clear and hence what they did was against the rules," he maintained.

In his second letter to Modi, Chandy has admonished the Delhi Police officials and termed their barging into the Kerala House canteen as "tyrannical and reprehensible".

"The whole episode is a total disregard of legal niceties by the Delhi Police, which is controlled by the central government in a constitutionally federal structure," he wrote.

On Monday, Delhi Police conducted a raid at the Kerala House canteen following a complaint that beef was being served there. Cow slaughter and beef are legally banned in Delhi.