CPI flays CS for article justifying police action on Maoists

CPI, the second largest partner in the ruling Left front, which has criticised the gunning down of four suspected Maoists in Attapady forest in Palakkad, on Tuesday hit out at Chief Secretary Tom Jose for his article justifying the police action against the ultras.

CPI State secretary Kanam Rajendran wanted to know if the Chief Secretary had sought permission from the government for publishing the article, which appeared in an English daily on Tuesday.

The article amounted to contempt of court, Kanam said adding it was not right on the part of the bureaucrat to express his opinion in this manner at a time when a magisterial enquiry was on.

The article would send a wrong message, he said.

Kicking up a controversy, Jose had in the article titled "It is like war: kill or be killed", justified the police action.

He said that during the recent shootings, the security personnel had only done their duty to protect the citizens from the onslaught of Maoist terrorists.

CPI Assistant Secretary Prakash Babu told reporters that the Chief Secretary cannot write such an article, especially when the house is in session and it was against procedure.

A magesterial probe was on and the article would send a wrong message to officers, he said.

The matter also had its echo in the state assembly, with Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala making a reference to it, saying it was a "serious matter".

However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he had not read the article.

A team of CPI MLAs, which visited the Attapady forest after the incident, had opined that the Maoists were gunned down in a fake encounter.

A report of their findings was handed over to Vijayan on Tuesday.