Our food is our right: Kerala Politicians
Senior politicians of Kerala state attacked Delhi police about the Kerala House raid (over serving beef-fry). Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of Kerala held a demonstration accusing Centre of invading personal space. CPI (M) MP A. Sampath said that the Centre had humiliated the Kerala Government. AAP leader Ashutosh said that Delhi police should rather focus on matters like women security.
Kerala House is the official state house of Government of Kerala at New Delhi. It has a 24-hour guest house facility and a canteen which serves traditional Kerala cuisines to all its residents.
A Police Control Room call was made accusing Kerala House of serving beef curry. The details were passed onto Parliament street police station, from where a team of 20 policemen was sent to Kerala House to verify if the canteen at the state guest house was serving beef. A senior police official said they wanted to avert possible hooliganism and maintain law and order.
Vishnu Gupta, a Hindu Sena leader had lodged a formal complaint with Delhi Police against the Kerala guest house that they were serving beef. Acting on this, the Kerala House decided to drop beef from its canteen menu. Canteen staff Santosh said that it is a government organisation and any banned item wasn't being served. He said that the police was given wrong information.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal slammed the Delhi Police over Kerala House raid saying they were acting like BJP Sena. He asked whether Delhi Police would arrest a CM if they suspect him of eating something that BJP disapproved of. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that it was an unwise and unhealthy attempt to curb the fundamental rights of people.
Kerala CM Oommen Chandy seeked PM Modi's intervention asking him to issue a directive to the Home Minister to take stringent action against those responsible for trespassing into the property of Kerala government . He wrote that it should be made sure that these kind of incidents do not happen again. He said that Delhi Police's action was highly objectionable.
After the raid of Delhi police at Kerala House, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) questioned their action. PMO enquired why such a large team of 20 policemen was sent out for the raid at the Kerala house. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi and has asked him for a fact-finding report on Kerala House.
Facing attack for the action at Kerala House, Delhi Police Commissioner said they did not raid the Kerala House kitchen. He said they were contemplating action against the caller under section 182 IPC for lodging false complaint with a public servant. He added that the caller Vishnu Gupta's past record made them take such an action. Not taking action could have had disastrous consequences.
The popular Carabeef (buffalo meet) dish that was discontinued after police action would be served again from October 28. Sudheesh Kumar of Kerala House said that they have the permission of Resident Commissioner of the Kerala government to do so. Kerala House had clarified that buffalo meat dish was being served in the canteen and not cow meat as alleged by the Delhi Police.
