TN politicians should respect federal system, says DK Shivakumar

BENGALURU: Expressing displeasure over former chief minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam’s remarks on the Hanur encounter case in which three persons were killed in an alleged encounter with forest personnel in Chamarajanagar district a few days ago, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday urged political leaders from TN to respect the federal system and not to interfere in the affairs of other states.

Addressing reporters here, Shivakumar said, “This is a federal structure. No state should interfere in another’s administration. Panneerselvam or anyone. They should follow political ethics. I cannot interfere in Tamil Nadu’s law and order problem. Every state has its own problems. They should also know that. We know how to protect our state’s interests. Let them do their job. We will do ours. I don’t want to interfere in their administration.”

On Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay seeking an honest investigation into the case, Shivakumar said, “I don’t want to comment on it. It’s a general discourse. They should do their job. We should do ours.” Vijay had stated that the explanation provided by the Karnataka Forest Department “is unacceptable” and sought a high-level investigation.