Kerala’s Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala warned the state police chief Lokanath Behera to not ‘dance to the tunes’ of the government led by Pinarayi Vijayan. The Congress leader said that the police chief should not go ahead with ‘false cases’ against legislators in the opposition.

Chennithala said this while inaugurating a protest against the Pinarayi Vijayan government and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI-M, which leads the Left Democratic Front government of the state.

"The present police chief is on a mission to trap the Congress legislators who raise their voice against the corrupt Pinarayi Vijayan government. We warn you that if you continue to go ahead with registering false cases against our legislators PT Thomas, KM Shaji and VD Satheeshan, we will take legal steps against you,” Chennithala said.

He added that if the Congress-led United Democratic Front wins the next Assembly elections, they will appoint a commission to probe all the ‘misdeeds’ of the LDF.

Chennithala said that the Comptroller and Auditor General have indicted Behra and the numerous purchases he has undertaken after taking over as the state police chief.

"No action has been taken on that report as it has been put in the cold storage and the state government is also not acting on it," added Chennithala.

Behra superannuates next year and in all likelihood he will be moved out as the state police chief, as the rules of the Election Commission will come into effect, and all officers who have completed a stipulated period in a post will have to be moved out ahead of the elections.

Soon after CM Pinarayi assumed office in May 2016, the then state police chief TP Senkumar was removed and was replaced by Behera.

However, after a long drawn legal battle, Senkumar managed to get back his chair and when he superannuated, Behra was brought back.

(With IANS input)