K Sudhakaran targets Oommen Chandy

KOCHI:  A longstanding resentment brewing in the Congress has finally come out in the open. Hitting out at Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for supporting the Kannur SP in the poster issue, K Sudhakaran MP on Monday stated that even the Chief Minister was bound to follow rules. “The Superintendent of Police removed the boards on the roads whereas boards with pictures of  Chandy and other leaders are put even inside some police stations. There is no need for a special law only for Kannur,’’  he told reporters here.He stated that if a decision had been taken to remove the boards with pictures of leaders, then such boards should be removed from all places. Stating the SP’s action of removing posters was not justifiable, he pointed out that the posters were removed after a period of 21 days.  “This is an insult to me,’’ he said and added that the Chief Minister had the responsibility to protect the rights and interests of elected representatives.  He termed the statement by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran supporting the SP as untimely. “Only those who have self-esteem could understand the feelings of a self-respecting person,’’ he added. Oommen Chandy had taken a favourable stand towards Kannur SP Anoop Kuruvila John who had suspended six policemen. He had said that the action was normal as the policemen had violated the rules of the constitution of police association. Six police personnel who are district functionaries of the Kerala Police Association  have been placed under suspension in connection with a row over a poster placed near the Armed Police camp here hailing  Sudhakaran. The poster was positioned near the camp on January 5 when the Chief Minister’s mass contact programme was held at the Police Parade Ground opposite the camp. The poster hailed Sudhakaran for releasing `10 lakh for the swimming pool at the Kerala Armed Police Battalion IV. The SP, on seeing the poster before the Republic Day ceremony, ordered the removal of the board.Though the board was removed by the association office-bearers, it was reinstalled later.