Senior Congress leader PP Thankachan, presently convener of the party-led Opposition UDF, is facing no serious security threat but two officers from the State police force have reportedly been providing round-the-clock security for him for the past four years. However, Thankachan is not the only leader in Kerala to get round-the-clock security service of police officers in this way.
As per reports based on an official assessment, hundreds of personnel of the Kerala Police have been deployed for the personal security of political leaders, former ministers and religious and community leaders. The system of providing personal security by the police to such leaders has already triggered a controversy in the context of the raging row over the use of police personnel and Camp Followers in the force as house servants by top police officials,.
Though these police personnel have been deployed at the houses of such leaders in the name of security duty, in most cases they are allegedly being used by them in violation of all the relevant rules. In many cases, the police officers deployed so are said to be happy to remain in that assignment because of the personal advantages it brings.
“What the Government does not consider while permitting this is that all these personnel are being paid with the tax-payers’ money,” a former Superintendent of Police from central Kerala. “It is necessary to provide personal security to a Minister. But why should former ministers get it when they are facing no security threatIJ” he asked.
The former official said that these leaders, including former Union minister, had been availing this special service for the past several years in violation of the rules regarding appointment of personal staff. “They are appointed for personal security, but even the Government is well aware about what most of them are actually doing at the leaders’ houses,” he said.
Thankachan was provided with the round-the-clock services of two police officers by the former Congress-led UDF government in which Ramesh Chennithala, presently the Opposition leader, was Home minister on the ground that he was facing threat from Maoists in connection with a stone quarry owned by his son.
However, the matter has now under criticism as Thankachan presently is not attending any official assignments outside because of health problems. He has not been participating in UDF meetings these days. The present CPI(M)-led lDF Government has not so far thought of withdrawing the security cover given to Thankachan.