Election Commission Removes Home Secretaries Of 6 States, Bengal Top Cop
The Election Commission directed the transfer of Rajeev Kumar, Bengal's Director-General of Police DGP -- a well known Mamata Banerjee loyalist.
Vivek Sahay, who was Director-General and Commandant of the Home Guards, has been appointed the new West Bengal DGP.
The poll panel issued orders for the removal of six Home Secretaries - including the top bureaucrats from NDA-ruled Gujarat, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.
In addition, Iqbal Singh Chahal, who is Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and other officials in municipalities across Maharashtra, was removed too.
All of this comes less than a month before the 2024 Lok Sabha poll; the ECI on Saturday said voting will begin on April 19 and run over seven phases till June 1.
This is, in fact, the first re-jig by the ECI since it announced polling dates, and it came after a meeting of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and his two associates, the newly-appointed Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The poll panel has underlined its commitment to a level playing field for all parties in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, as well as state by-polls over the next 100 days.
Sources said the personnel removed were found to be holding dual charge in the offices of the respective chief ministers of each state, and this could compromise, or be seen to be compromising, required neutrality, particularly in relation to law-and-order before, during and after polling.
For example, in the case of Uttar Pradesh, Sanjay Prasad - the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath - had been given additional charge of the Home Department in 2022.
West Bengal's ruling Trinamool has hit out at the removal of Mr Kumar, who is seen by the opposition as be close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party.
In the past, the state government has also questioned the last-minute re-shuffle of senior officials so close to an election, arguing it hampers prep work.
Senior leader Kunal Ghosh accused the saffron party of "trying their best to grab organisations like the ECI..." to ensure its success when the state votes across five phases beginning April 26.
"The BJP is trying to help their state unit because they know, in the election, BJP will be defeated in most of Bengal's seats. The BJP may transfer a few officers but the public is with the Trinamool Congress and didi (as Ms Banerjee is referred to)," he said.
West Bengal has more often witnessed violence during polling season. In June, 2023, over a dozen people were killed across the state as voting for a panchayat election was underway.
The Trinamool accused the opposition of instigating violence and criticised central forces for their failure to protect voters, while the Congress claimed the state had let thugs loose on the people.
The re-shuffle, not an uncommon move by the Election Commission before major polls, also included the transfer of the Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand
Home Secretaries, as well as senior officials attached to the offices of the Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh Chief Ministers.
BJP To Contest 17 Seats, JDU 16, Chirag Paswan's LJP Ram Vilas) - 5 in Bihar
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United will contest on 16 seats. Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party will contest on five seats, Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha's RLM gets one seat each.
"....don't shout at me....You have got my decision as Chief Justice, we are not hearing you," CJI D Y Chandrachud tells senior counsel Nedumpara -- who was once punished for contempt of court.
As Chief Justice said, "Don't shout at me".
On the defensive, Mathews Nedumpara responded, "No, no, I am very soft."
The Chief Justice went on, "This is not a Hyde Park corner meeting, you are in the court. You want to move an application, file an application. You have got my decision as Chief Justice, we are not hearing you. "
All these came to light during the hearing on Electoral Bonds.
As Mr Nedumpara kept speaking, Justice BR Gavai intervened, "You are obstructing in the process of administration of justice!"
The lawyer still did not back down. As he kept speaking, the bench said, "That's all, we will not hear you till you follow the procedure prescribed." Mr Nedumpara said they will be filing an application and that they boarded a night flight to reach Delhi. "Be kind to us," he said. The bench, however, did not budge.
The court also refused to hear arguments by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi and Supreme Court Bar Association president Adish Agarwalla, who wanted to intervene during the hearing.
The bench also reminded the lawyer of the contempt of court action he has faced in the past. In 2019, the Supreme Court held Mr Nedumpara guilty of contempt.
He had then given an undertaking that he will never again "attempt to browbeat any Judge either of this Court or of the Bombay High Court".
The court sentenced him to three months imprisonment "which is, however, suspended only if Shri Nedumpara continues in future to abide by the undertaking given to us today". He was also barred from practising before the Supreme Court for a year.
The Supreme Court today asked SBI to disclose all details, including the alphanumeric number and serial number, if any, of the bonds redeemed.
It also asked the SBI chairman to submit an affidavit, stating that no info has been withheld. The Election Commission was asked to upload the data received from SBI.
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