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.