Describing as “outrageous” the act of the Special Protection Group (SPG) officials in preventing Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) K. Ramanujam from receiving Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Tiruchi Airport, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa demanded an inquiry and proper action against those who were responsible for the incident.
The incident occurred when Mr. Ramanujam was walking towards the ladder point of the aircraft to receive the Prime Minster during his visit to Tiruchi along with Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam, Khadi and Village Industries T.P. Poonachi, Chief Secretary Sheela Balakrishnan and the Tiruchi Collector.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, she said, Mr. Ramanujam was “rudely accosted and prevented” from approaching the aircraft by a lower level officer of the SPG, who was part of the security.
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“It is most astonishing that the SPG could not recognise the DGP of Tamil Nadu, that topmost ranking officer in the State even while he was in uniform,” she said.
Trouble-free atmosphere
Ms. Jayalalithaa said it was the same DGP who was responsible for the elaborate security arrangements to ensure a peaceful, trouble-free atmosphere during the Prime Minister’s visit to Tamil Nadu.
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“This incident occurred despite the fact that the DGP was in uniform,” she said, pointing out that a detailed list of those who would receive the Prime Minister at the ladder point was sent and was duly confirmed by the Prime Minister’s office on August 1.
She said such an outrageous incident involving the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, who was part of the confirmed list of persons for the reception and send-off line up approved by the Prime Minister’s Office showed the SPG officers in very poor light.
Besides demanding inquiry and action against those who were responsible for the incident, she suggested a suitable regimen to ensure that such lapses of protocol did not recur in future.