New Delhi, Oct 27, (PTI) : Under attack for its action at Kerala House, Delhi Police today said that they did not "raid" the canteen there, as it is being projected, and claimed to have acted on a PCR call.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi had called it preventive action, but in the evening the term "preventive" was dropped.
"It was not a raid. It, in fact, was a preventive measure as per our standing operating procedures. We had alerted their private security staff as soon as we got a call to prevent any protest. We also deployed possible security measures and alerted the staff working there," Bassi had told reporters in the afternoon.
On being asked about reports that the state guest house removed "beef curry" from their menu before police could reach, he said, "I don't have any knowledge about it...we have been informed by the staff that there was no beef item on their menu."
In the evening, Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat dropped the term "preventive" and stated, "No raid was conducted at Kerala House by Delhi Police. The police had gone there to attend a PCR call."
Around 4.15 PM yesterday, the police control room (PCR) received a call by a Hindu Sena activist, who reported that beef was being served at the canteen of Kerala House.
The policemen took no chance and the input was immediately passed on to Parliament Street police station, from where a team was sent to Kerala House to deal with any potential violence.
"We received a call by a person who had come into notice for taking law in his own hands. We sent a police team to Kerala House to enquire about the matter and the staff there were also informed about the PCR call," said the top city cop.
"The staff at Kerala House were also asked to keep an eye for any potential mischief in the premises. The police were alert and officials were put on alert to avoid any untoward incident," said Bassi.
As far as the right to enquire such matters is concerned, there was no illegal conduct on part of the police, said the commissioner, citing the Delhi Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act, 1994, under which slaughter of cows, calves, bulls and bullocks and the possession of their flesh are illegal in Delhi-NCR.
Security was beefed up and scores of police officials were deployed outside the premises of Kerala Bhawan today on a "precautionary watch" to ensure that law and order is maintained.
National President of Hindu Sena, Vishnu Gupta, said that a friend had tipped them off about beef being served at the Kerala House canteen.
"When we went there to check, we found that names of all items were written in English, except one. When we asked whether the one written in Malayalam was beef, the staff there couldn't give a convincing answer. So we reported the matter to the police," Gupta claimed.
Meanwhile, DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal maintained that there was no information about any gate-crash by right-wing activists at Kerala House. "However, the police are alert to deal with any situation," he added.
A political row broke out today over Delhi Police entering the state-run Kerala House on a complaint that it serves beef with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy condemning the "raid" as "unfortunate" and he was also backed by his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal.
The BJP justified the police action, saying it was only making inquiries following a complaint and was well within its right under the law of the land.
Dismissing the claims that beef was being served at the Kerala House canteen here, Kerala Chief Secretary said that police should have entered with permission yesterday.
Earlier:
Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi, Oct 27 (PTI): Slamming the "raid" at Kerala House in New Delhi over an allegation that beef was being serve there, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming the episode "highly objectionable".
Charging that Delhi Police had overstepped their brief, he asked Modi to take strong action over the incident. And, even as criticism was voiced by Congress and Left parties in the state over the matter, two key Kerala MPs vowed to raise the issue in Parliament during the Winter session.
Congress Deputy Chief Whip in Lok Sabha, KC Venugopal, and CPI(M) Deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, KN Balagopal, said they would take up the incident and raise the issue of killings in the name of consumption of beef when Parliament meets next month.
In his letter to the prime minister, Chandy termed "highly objectionable" the raid by Delhi Police at the canteen at Kerala House and sought stringent action against those responsible for the action at the state-run guest house.
"I feel that the action by Delhi Police is highly objectionable and they have clearly overstepped their brief," the Chief Minister said.
Detailing the incident, Chandy charged that a few unidentified persons accompanied by Delhi Police officials last evening came to Kerala House and conducted a raid on the staff canteen.
They disrupted the functioning of the canteen alleging that cooked cow meat was being served, Chandy claimed, adding that the complaint was based on "wrong information".
Delhi Police officials questioned the staff regarding the food items served at the canteen and Chandy said that the "raid" was conducted without any permission or prior information to local state government officials, he said.
Kerala government has already lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police Commissioner in this regard, he said.
Chandy told the prime minister that the Kerala House canteen served authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian state cuisine and the items on the menu were in accordance with and "entirely within the confines of the existing law".
He wanted Modi to instruct the Union Home Minister to take action against those responsible for the act and also ensure that such incidents are not repeated.
Meanwhile, among the political leaders who slammed the incident were former Defence Minister AK Antony, state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC President VM Sudheeran and LDF leaders.
Chennithala said the police action was an infringement on the powers of the state while Sudheeran termed the issue a challenge to the "Federal set up of the country".
Congress leader Antony said that the freedom of an individual to eat and wear what he or she felt like should not be infringed upon.
CPI(M) Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the police action at Kerala House was part of Sangh Parivar agenda as he sought to attack the BJP-led government at the Centre.
"There is neither any ban on beef in Delhi nor any restriction to cook or sell it at Kerala House. Delhi Police's illegal action is part of the Sangh Parivar agenda," Vijayan, former CPI-M state secretary said in a Facebook post.
In Kochi, Venugopal said the Prime Minister would have to answer in Parliament for the "searches" at the guest house.
"Who gave authority to Delhi Police to conduct searches at Kerala House? I condemn the Prime Minister's inaction against the fascist elements trying to interfere with the food habits of crores of people of the nation," said Venugopal.
Accusing the prime minister of "keeping silent for days" after the Dadri lynching, Balagopal said, "Modi will have to answer us in Parliament about violent incidents occurring under his rule in the country over consumption of food.
"Delhi Police was acting at the behest of the forces trying to infringe upon the fundamental rights of the people of the country."
The Rajya Sabha MP further told PTI in Kochi that the issue will be raised in Parliament when it convenes for the Winter Session "because it is a question of the fundamental rights of Malayalees".
Earlier Report
Kerala House beef raid: CM Chandy slams Delhi Police, to take up issue with Centre
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 27 (Agencies) : Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and state MP MB Rajesh have hit out at the Delhi Police for conducting a 'beef raid' at the Kerala House in the national capital.
A day after cops visited the Kerala House after receiving a complaint from a right-wing activist that beef was being served at the canteen there, Chandy said the Delhi Police should have exercised restraint while conducting the checks.
"Kerala House is a state guest house. I am yet to get complete details with regard to the incident. Whatever, Delhi Police should have shown restraint and consulted officials concerned before checking the premises for beef dishes," the Kerala CM said at a press meet in Kozhikode, as per the New Indian Express.
Chandy stated that his government will raise the matter with the Central government.
MP Rajesh demanded action against police officers who conducted the 'illegal' raid.
“How can the Delhi Police raid the Kerala House. Beef (buffalo meat) is not banned in Delhi,” Rajesh told news channel CNN-IBN.
Buffalo meat was taken off the menu at the Kerala House canteen on Monday after the Delhi Police's visit.
The Delhi Police, however, said that they visited the Kerala House and interacted with officials there after receiving the complaint from Vishnu Gupta, a Hindu Sena leader, to prevent any 'untoward incident'.
"We dealt with the matter with necessary alertness and took our position. The objective was to ensure that law and order is not disrupted," said DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal.
While officials at the Kerala House argued that they served only buffalo meat at their canteen, yet they still decided to take it off the menu.