Maharashtra Assembly Polls: EC orders transfer of DGP Rashmi Shukla after Congress alleges ‘bias against opposition’
Maharashtra's DGP Rashmi Shukla has been transferred following allegations of bias against opposition parties, including Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). The Election Commission acted on complaints, emphasizing the need for impartiality in the upcoming assembly elections.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Acting on complaints from INC and other parties, the Election Commission of India ordered the transfer of DGP Maharashtra, Rashmi Shukla, with immediate effect and directed the Chief Secretary to hand over her charge to the next senior most IPS officer in the cadre, newswire ANI reported, citing sources.
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The sources told ANI, “The Chief Secretary has also been directed to send a panel of three IPS officers by 05.11.2024 (1 pm) for appointment as DGP Maharashtra."
Sources told ANI that CEC Rajiv Kumar had earlier, during the review meetings and announcement of assembly elections in the state, warned officials to be impartial and fair and perceived to be non-partisan in their conduct while carrying out their duties.
What did opposition leaders alleged?
On Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that the Maharashtra Assembly election could not be conducted fairly if Rashmi Shukla, whom he alleged is biased towards the BJP, remains at the helm of the state police force.
“There is a very serious allegation against the state's Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla. In 2019, when our government was being formed, this Director General of Police, who was directly working for the Bharatiya Janata Party, was tapping all our phones and giving full information to Devendra Fadnavis about what we were going to do,” Raut said, as reported by ANI.
Earlier on October 31, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, requesting the removal of Rashmi Shukla from her position.
In the letter, Patole accused DGP Shukla of displaying a “clear bias” against opposition parties in the state, including Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP). He alleged that in the past 20 days, Maharashtra has witnessed numerous incidents of political violence targeting opposition leaders, with cases reportedly escalating.
Dated October 31, the letter reads, “Kindly refer to our previous letters dated 24th September 2024 and 4th October 2024 concerning the removal of Rashmi Shukla from the post of Director General of Police, Maharashtra. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) reiterated this request during a briefing with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 27th September 2024.”
Also Read: Maharashtra Assembly Polls: ‘Mahayuti is finished now,’ says Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala
The letter continued, “This request has been repeatedly submitted through oral representations and press conferences. While the DGP of Jharkhand was removed immediately after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was enforced, DGP Maharashtra was exempted. Over the past 20 days, political violence against opposition parties has significantly escalated, with a notable deterioration in the law and order situation. She has shown a clear bias against the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP(SP), as evidenced by her previous record of illegal phone tapping of opposition leaders while serving as Commissioner of Police, Pune, and Commissioner of the State Intelligence Department (SID).”
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23. In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.
(With inputs from ANI)
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Business NewsNewsIndiaMaharashtra Assembly Polls: EC orders transfer of DGP Rashmi Shukla after Congress alleges ‘bias against opposition’
First Published:4 Nov 2024, 12:05 PM IST
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