'CRPF personnel guarding TN BJP chief's slippers', Congress demands inquiry

New Delhi: Congress Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an inquiry into the alleged request for CRPF personnel to guard Tamil Nadu BJP chief Anamalai's slippers.

In a letter to Shah, Tagore said that he was writing to express his deep concern and seek a clarification regarding a recent incident of CRPF personnel being requested to provide security for the slippers of BJP Tamil Nadu president Annamalai.

He said that the matter came to his notice through various media reports, and "I believe it raises important questions about the appropriate use of security resources and personnel".

"As a concerned citizen and a MP, I firmly believe in the importance of ensuring that our law enforcement agencies, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), are deployed judiciously and effectively to maintain public safety and uphold the rule of law. However, I am puzzled by the decision to assign CRPF personnel to protect personal belongings, such as slippers," he said.

Hitting out at the Home Minister, Tagore said, "Can you confirm whether CRPF personnel were indeed deployed to provide security for Annamalai's slippers as reported in the media? What was the rationale behind this deployment? Was there a specific threat or security concern associated with Mr. Annamalai's slippers that warranted such an allocation of resources?

He questioned if there was any standard operating procedure or guidelines when making the decision to assign CRPF personnel to this task? If so, could you please provide details on these procedures? And how many CRPF personnel were involved in this assignment, and for what duration were they deployed to protect the slippers.

He also asked if it was common practice to assign CRPF personnel to protect the personal belongings of public figures or individuals, or was this an exceptional case and what measures are in place to ensure that the deployment of CRPF personnel aligns with their primary mission of maintaining public safety and national security?

"I believe that addressing these questions will not only provide transparency on this specific incident but also contribute to a broader understanding of the proper utilization of our security forces," he said.

"I request a prompt response to this inquiry to clarify the circumstances surrounding the deployment of CRPF personnel for the security of Annamalai's slippers," Tagore added.