Chennai: The ECI on Wednesday ordered the transfer of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N Muruganandam and appointed senior IAS officer M Sai Kumar in his place with immediate effect.
Chief Minister M K Stalin, who took strong exception to the shunting of the Chief Secretary, termed the Election Commission of India’s move as “unilateral and political outreach.”
Replacing Muruganandam in the midst of Assembly elections in the state was “one-sided”, the chief minister said, and strongly condemned the transfer.
The move comes a fortnight ahead of the April 23 election.
Apart from ordering the transfer of Muruganandam and appointing Kumar in his place, the ECI sought a compliance report in respect of joining of the officer.
Also, the EC posted IPS official Sandeep Mittal as Director General of Armed Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to succeed S Davidson Devasirvatham.
Muruganandam and Devasirvatham shall not be posted in any election-related posts till the completion of elections, a release from the ECI said.
“The ECI, without directly engaging in campaigning, is acting in full support of the BJP and has now transferred Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N Muruganandam. I register my strong condemnation for this unilateral and political overreach,” the CM said in a post on ‘X.’
“It was shameful that the ECI, which is supposed to conduct fair and free elections, is carrying out the orders of the BJP regime at the Centre. The protection given to the Election Commission by the Constitution is not for engaging in election work for the BJP,” Stalin further said.
The chief minister claimed that elections were being held in the BJP-ruled state of Assam, but the DGP and the Chief Secretary have not been replaced. In Bihar where the election was held, the DGP and the Chief Secretary were not replaced, he said, and added that only in Tamil Nadu, the Chief Secretary and the DGP have caught the ECI’s attention.
“They have been replaced at the instigation of the BJP. It is not good for the Election Commission to be eager to cooperate with the BJP and AIADMK in the election irregularities that are being carried out in Tamil Nadu,” Stalin said in the post.
He argued that the Election Commission should maintain its neutrality. “The Election Commission, created by the founding fathers of the Constitution to gain the trust of the country, is being brought to the street is a great danger to the country and to free and fair elections,” Stalin said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who brought a new amendment that he will choose the Chief Election Commissioner himself, in violation of the Supreme Court verdict, or the BJP-led Union government would not understand the sanctity of the Election Commission. This is reflected in the transfer of the Chief Secretary and DGP only in the opposition-ruled states under the instigation of the BJP, running a “jungle raj”, Stalin said.
“All these actions show that the Election Commission of India, which is the last hope of democracy, has also become saffronised,” the CM said, and added no matter how many officials were transferred, the BJP in Tamil Nadu was sure to face a crushing defeat.
“Just as one presumes the wedding could be stopped by hiding the comb, the Election Commission’s abuse of power for the sake of the NDA comprising the AIADMK, is the height of arrogance,” Stalin said.
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