Pinarayi dismisses rowover martyrs’ column

Endorsing the Kerala Police Association’s practice of paying tribute to martyrs at their annual conventions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Sunday that the controversy on the same was kicked up by people who were totally ignorant of the differences between the Kerala Police and the Kerala Police Association (KPA).

Mr. Vijayan, while addressing the valedictory the three-day KPA meeting at Vadakara, said the practice of paying tribute to martyrs had been there since the formation of the association and there was nothing controversial about it.

“A few people are very upset on seeing the red colour. Paying tribute to martyrs is being projected as a sin by them,” said Mr. Vijayan. He said the police association was not paying tribute to anyone usually remembered by political parties.

Intelligence report

The Chief Minister came in support of the association’s practice with no comment on the recent Intelligence report to the State Police Chief that the police conventions were being transformed as party conventions. Annoyed by the report, the association had even changed the conventional red colour of the martyrs’ column and opted for a mix of red and blue colour code to escape from any possible disciplinary action.

“They paid tribute to around 30 policemen who were killed in various parts of north India. There is no logic in projecting this as a controversy,” said Mr. Vijayan. He also observed that the activities of the Kerala Police Association were satisfactory.

KPA State president T.S. Baiju presided over the meeting. Minister for Ports Kadannappally Ramachandran, State Police Chief Loknath Behera, District Police Chief (Kozhikode city) Kaliraj Maheshkumar and District Police Chief (Kozhikode Rural) M.K. Pushkaran were present.