Tamil Nadu top cop rejects claims of security lapse at Modi's event

Just a day after Tamil Nadu Bhartiya Janta Party chief K Annamalai met Governor R N Ravi in connection with the alleged security lapse during Prime Minister Narednra Modi's visit, Director General of Police Sylendra Babu said that there was no security lapse during the visit and everything went fine.

"There were no security lapses when the prime minister came to Chennai for the event. Everything was fine," said the DGP.

The top cop added that the state police has equipment in good condition.

"Each year there is a practice to critically audit all the equipment which is all used by the Police department. Tamil Nadu State Police Department has equipment in good condition. We even sent our team with our equipment to neighbouring states for help," he added.

The police official also informed that the security detailed for the event did not send any communications regarding a breach in security and said, "SPG didn't send any communications on security lapses. Orally they say the event was good."

His remarks came after Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Tuesday met the Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Tuesday and urged him to initiate an inquiry into the alleged security lapse during PM Narendra Modi's visit to the state to inaugurate Chess Olympiad event at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in July.

Addressing the media after meeting the Governor, Annamalai stated that the state BJP unit has handed over a memorandum to the Governor with details regarding the inadequate security protection during the prime minister's visit to the state during the Chess Olympiad Event, by the M K Stalin-led Tamil Nadu state government.

According to Annamalai, the metal detectors were not working.

"The metal detectors were not working well. They were all in poor condition, some not even in working condition," he said.

Urging the chief minister to take necessary action at the earliest, he said, "The Tamil Nadu government should take necessary action against the officials who were in charge of security."

In his memorandum, Annamalai requested the governor to conduct independent audits of the metal detectors across Tamil Nadu.

In a series of Tweet, Annamalai accused the state government of a lapse in security and wrote,

'Today, along with other senior leaders of Tamil Nadu BJP, we met the Governor of Tamil Nadu, to present a memorandum on a grave security lapse committed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, during the visit of Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chennai on 28 and 29th July 2022,' he tweeted.

'The worst part is that the Tamil Nadu government trying to hide that now. We are presenting our memorandum with evidence of the state government's wrongdoing. Nobody seems safe under the DMK government's rule in Tamil Nadu,' he added in another tweet.