Thiruvananthapuram, June 30: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has distanced the Home Department from a reported Operation Toofan meeting linked to Congress MP K Sudhakaran, saying official meetings under the campaign can be convened only by senior police officers.
Operation Toofan is Kerala’s police-led anti-drug campaign aimed at cracking down on narcotics networks, drug trafficking and substance abuse. The clarification came after reports alleged that persons facing criminal cases and known gang leaders attended a Kochi gathering held in support of the campaign.
Kerala Home Minister Clarifies Operation Toofan Row
Chennithala told reporters that he had no knowledge of the reported meeting and said the Home Department had not convened it. He said official Operation Toofan meetings are called only by senior police officers with the knowledge of higher police authorities.
The minister also said the district police chief or the city police commissioner would be part of any official meeting held under the campaign. He made it clear that unofficial gatherings should not be linked to Operation Toofan.
The allegations around the meeting are yet to be officially verified by police.
Why The Kochi Meeting Sparked Controversy
The controversy began after media reports said a meeting allegedly convened by K Sudhakaran in Kochi included persons facing criminal cases and alleged gang leaders. The gathering was reportedly held to express support for the government’s anti-drug campaign.
The Ernakulam District Congress Committee reportedly clarified that it had no role in organising the event and had not been informed about it. Sudhakaran has not publicly responded to the controversy so far.
The row gained further attention after reports said a man who had attended the meeting was later arrested in connection with a hammer attack during a drunken brawl at a bar in Mattancherry.
Operation Toofan Will Continue, Says Chennithala
Chennithala said no unofficial meeting or controversy would weaken Operation Toofan. He maintained that the anti-drug campaign would continue under police supervision.
The Home Minister said Kerala Police had already arrested more than 5,000 people and registered around 4,500 cases as part of the crackdown. He also said narcotic substances worth crores of rupees had been seized during the campaign.
The controversy has raised questions over the use of the Operation Toofan name in political gatherings. Chennithala’s clarification attempts to draw a clear line between official police action and unofficial meetings held outside the government framework.
The government’s message is now clear: Operation Toofan will remain a police-led campaign, and any meeting held without police authority will not be treated as part of the official anti-narcotics drive.
