Centre on Friday expressed concern over Gujarat government's action against two senior IPS men locked in a confrontation with it over the post-Godhra riots and said it can intervene if the affected officers want so.
"It is a matter of concern," Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters at the GoM media briefing when asked whether the Centre was concerned with the tug of war between the police officers of Gujarat and the state government over the 2002 riots.
Asked whether the Centre can intervene to resolve the crisis, the Home Minister said: "Rules do provide for central government to take certain decisions at certain stages but that stage has to be invoked by officer concerned. If officer concerned invokes the rule, certainly we will look into it."
The Home Minister's reaction comes in the backdrop of Gujarat police action against IPS officers Sanjiv Bhatt and Rahul Sharma.
While Bhatt, who had filed a PIL before the Supreme Court against the Narendra Modi government over Godhra issue, was suspended a few days back, a DIG rank officer Rahul Sharma was issued a show cause notice for giving CDs of call records during the violence to various agencies including SIT.
BJP reacted sharply to the Home Minister's remarks with senior party leader Arun Jaitley saying, "It is a state matter and BJP has serious objections on the statement. If policemen break discipline, the state government can take action. If there is unnecessary interference by the Government of India, BJP will raise the issue seriously."
He said taking disciplinary action against police personnel facing serious allegations was the duty of the state government.