THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government praised Chief Secretary Viswas Mehta for his timely and appropriate intervention in yesterday’s happenings. The cabinet meet opined that the chief secretary made a commendable intervention yesterday in controlling the furor over the secretariat fire.

The cabinet decided to increase the security of the secretariat in the context of fire. Further decisions will be taken after receiving the investigation report. The cabinet ordered for a speedy completion of the investigation on the issue.

The fire broke out at Secretariat protocol office around 4.45pm yesterday. The opposition and the BJP raised strong allegations that the fire was a sabotage attempt. The chief secretary asked the opposition members and the media to leave the premises and this further unleashed violence in the premises of the secretariat.