Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday justified the inquiry into an Indian Police Service officer who raided a Communist Party of India (Marxist) office in Thiruvananthapuram last week.

Chaitra Teresa John led a police team on the midnight of January 24 to search a Communist Party of India (Marxist) office, in an attempt to locate Democratic Youth Foundation of India students who are accused in a stone-pelting case. After this, a complaint was filed against her by leaders of the party in Thiruvananthapuram.

“Some vested interests have an inclination to tarnish the image of those in politics and there have been occasions when some people have fallen for such tendencies,” Vijayan claimed in the state Assembly on Monday, PTI reported. “A democratic society can go forward only after rectifying such outlook.”

Vijayan said his government wants to create an environment where all political parties can operate freely. “The government will take appropriate action if anyone adopts a stand different from it.”

The chief minister said Kerala Director General of Police Lokanath Behera has been asked to investigate the case, The News Minute reported. “There has always been an attempt to project politicians in poor light,” he claimed. Additional Director General of Police Manoj Abraham had earlier in the day submitted a report to Behera, giving a clean chit to John in the case.

However, leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, from the Congress, said the search of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) office was completely legal. He said any action against John may demoralise the police force.