The chairman of the National Vermin Association released an official statement earlier today requesting people to stop comparing policemen to vermin like rats and cockroaches.

Dr. G.M Rao wrote, “We empathise with your pain and anger, but please understand that even the most smelly and disease-ridden vermin is not as disgusting and depraved as them.”

This came after the horrific details of the death of two men in police custody in Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) started pouring in, sparking outrage amongst people on the Internet.

Many people compared the police to sewer-dwelling vermin, as this is not the first case of police brutality in the country. The members of the police force have been unabashedly abusing their powers over the citizens of the country and have remained, largely, unchecked. This has even been normalised in movies like Simmba, Singham, A Wednesday, and more.

Whether it was the unnecessarily brutal action against the students of Jamia Milia Islamia university during the CAA protests, or the woefully under reported crimes against the people in Kashmir, police brutality in India is a reality that not enough people are talking about.

This most recent incidence has proven to be a trigger for many people across the country, leading to the comparison.

“It’s a humble request from us, over at the NVA, to refrain yourself from degrading vermin by putting them in the same category as these monsters,” read the statement.