Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP alliance has criticised Director General of Police (anti-corruption bureau) A N Roy’s appointment for handling election work during the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.
“It is well known that Roy became DGP due to blessings of a political party and it is wrong to give him this responsibility,” state BJP president Nitin Gadkari said.
“We will inform the Election Commission about the controversial tenure of Roy,” Mr. Gadkari said in a statement.
Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said her party would seek intervention either from the Commission or the courts to oppose Roy being given poll work.
“In the state Legislature members have debated the controversies surrounding Roy and appointing him in charge of election work by sidelining state police chief S S Virk is a bad precedent,” Mr. Gorhe said.
The Congress-led Democratic Front government had sought opinion of the Election Commission on whether to assign election work to Virk or entrust another senior IPS officer with the task as was done during the Lok Sabha polls.
Mr. Roy’s appointment was announced on Friday by Maharashtra additional chief secretary (Home) Chandra Iyengar.
In February, when the process for the Lok sabha polls was underway, the Commission directed that the officials against whom disciplinary action had been recommended or those charged with lapse in any election or election-related work or those transferred under the orders of the Commission may not be assigned any poll-related duty.
As Mr. Virk was shifted on the orders of the Commission when he was DGP of Punjab, Maharashtra Government referred his case to the Commission which observed that while Mr. Virk could continue as the DGP, he should not be assigned any poll-related work.
The government, with the permission of the Commission, had appointed the then director of ACB, S Chakraborty, to look after poll-related work.
