CPI-M blames Delhi Police for security lapse at Kerala House (Lead)

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapu : The Kerala unit of CPI-M on Saturday blamed Delhi Police for the security lapse at Kerala House in the national capital where a mentally ill person tried to forcefully enter the building.

The incident created a flutter after the man wielding a knife tried to enter Kerala House when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was present inside.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) demanded a probe by the Central government into the occurrence.

"The security arrangements at the Kerala House is taken care by the Delhi Police and it was shocking to see a person with a knife trying to enter the building," said Kerala CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan in a statement issued in Thiruvananthapuram.

"Delhi Police officials did not do anything and it was the commandos attached to the Kerala Police ... who overpowered the person who intruded. This was a serious security lapse when the Chief Minister was present there," the statement said.

"The Centre should launch a probe to find out what went wrong," demanded Balakrishnan.

Vijayan has been in the national capital since Friday to attend party meetings.

"The incident occurred at around 10 a.m after which the security staff informed the police about it. The man was later identified as a 46-year-old Vimal Raj, a native of Kerala's Karippuzha," Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma said in Delhi.

"The medical documents he was carrying suggested that he is 80 per cent mentally unsound. He is now being sent to the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IBHAS), Shahdara, as per the law," he added.

Before his attempt to force his way inside the building, Raj, who had breakfast at the Kerala House canteen, told the staff that "today, his issues would be addressed".

At the Kerala House, Raj also got to see another top Kerala leader, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Seeing Chandy, he said he had met him five times when he was the Chief Minister and sought his help to solve his various issues but nothing happened.

Chandy told him that he does not remember the meeting.

The Kerela Police, however, pointed out that three years ago, Raj had created a flutter by climbing a tree at the state's Secretariat complex in the heart of Kerala capital, demanding solutions to his problems. It was after much coaxing and cajoling that the police had managed to make him come down the tree.