IPS officers in marshal’s uniform trigger row

An officer says Speaker gave written order to enter House to manage ‘situation’

An IPS officer (left) seen in Watch and Ward uniform in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Saturday.

A controversy is brewing over the entry of some senior IPS officers wearing white uniform and passing off as Marshals of the Watch & Ward staff in the Legislative Assembly to evict protesting DMK MLAs on Saturday afternoon.

Journalists and legislators were surprised to see Additional Commissioner of Police (North) C. Sridhar, Joint Commissioners of Police Santosh Kumar and Joshi Nirmal Kumar and Deputy Commissioner of Police R Sudhakar dressed in white uniform like Marshals.

One of them was heard ordering the Watch & Ward staff “lift them” (

Thooku, thooku ).

Asked about this, a police officer requesting anonymity, said, “We were given a written order by the Speaker to enter the House since some senior police officers were required to manage the situation. The Assembly authorities insisted that we wear the white uniforms of Marshals.”

‘Unprecedented’

Admitting that IPS officers entering the Assembly in such uniforms was unprecedented, he said there was no option since the authorities concerned insisted on the same.

When contacted, sources in the State police headquarters confirmed that the Assembly Secretary A.M.P. Jamaludeen authorised the senior police officers to enter the Assembly in Watch & Ward uniform.

In his letter to the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, Mr. Jamaludeen said “The Speaker has announced adjournment of the House at 1:28 p.m. after ordering eviction of DMK members. The DMK members refused to leave the House and sat inside the chamber even after the House is adjourned. As directed by the Hon’ble Speaker, the following senior police officers are permitted to enter the Assembly premises in Watch and Ward uniform to evict the DMK members.”

He named nine police officers, including four senior IPS officers, to enter the Assembly in Watch & Ward uniform.

Violation of service rules

According to a senior police officer, there was no provision to change the prescribed uniform of an IPS officer while on duty. Only officers engaged in intelligence related duties or other special operations approved by the competent authority can be in plain clothes. Going by the rule book, it is apparent that the IPS officers had violated service rules by wearing the white uniform on Saturday, he said.

Incidentally, soon after the Speaker ordered the eviction of the DMK MLAs, a senior police officer, who came out from Mr Dhanapal’s chamber, ordered all those wearing white uniforms to rush to the House. “Except for one guarding this gate all others wearing white uniforms rush to the House,” he ordered them.

Soon after this, white uniforms packed in plastic bags were seen being passed on to some personnel, who quickly changed clothes and entered the House.

Journalists who were standing in the vicinity were ordered by the police to leave the corridor.