Tamil Nadu Governor's Office Blasts State Police for "Studied Indifference" to Security Threats

There have been instances when Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi's life has been threatened, but the Raj Bhavan said that the state police's "studied indifference" to the situation has compromised his security.

The individual who threw a Molotov cocktail during the October 25 "bomb attacks" at Raj Bhavan "is a consequence of it." The governor's office also reported verbal abuse and threats in a complaint about the event to the Chennai Police Commissioner. The allegations were made "mostly by leaders and workers of DMK and its allies in their public meetings and through their social media." The media was given access to the complaint document.

"The goal of these threats is to intimidate the governor and prevent him from carrying out his constitutionally mandated responsibilities. However, because of the police's passivity, complaints have not had much of an impact, the statement said.

"Earlier, while he was traveling to attend a function at the Dharmapuram Adhinam in the Mayiladuthurai district, Ravi was physically attacked with sticks and stones."

A complaint was made, but no formal complaint was filed. It said that this also applied to a few other situations that were comparable.

Rather of providing valuable follow-up, the police "trivialized the serious incidents into minor offences."

"Police's deliberate disregard for grave dangers facing the governor has undermined both Raj Bhavan's and the governor's security. It is the reason for the heinous bombings of the Raj Bhavan today," the statement said.

It went on to say that a governor cannot function while under continual danger, and it requested the chief municipal police officer to seriously consider the offenses committed on Wednesday, especially those covered by section 124 of the IPC, which are "specifically intended for threats to a governor."

A duplicate of the grievance, sent to the state police head, was also received from Dr. T. Sengottaiyan, the governor's deputy secretary.

On October 25, a man who has since been caught threw a Molotov cocktail, known locally as a "petrol bomb," in front of Raj Bhavan's main gate. According to the police, there was no damage and no one was hurt in the event.