EC expose of Cong govt’s disobedience proves IG leading political probe: SAD
EC expose of Cong govt’s disobedience proves IG leading political probe: SAD (Bikram Majithia asks what was compulsion of govt to retain IG as SIT member) Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said the latest revelations from the Election Commission that the Congress government had gone to the extent of disobeying its orders to retain IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap as member of SIT probing the police actions in Kotkapura and Behbalkalan was proof of the politicization of the entire probe. In a statement here, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the Election Commission letter to the Punjab chief secretary had not only held the Congress government guilty of disobeying its express orders to transfer the IG as member of SIT, but had also directed the government to ensure this did not happen again. “The very fact that the government was ready to suffer the ignominy of a public apology on this issue is itself indicative that it was under some compulsion to suffer this humiliation. The government needs to explain what this compulsion was and why it had gone to such an extraordinary length to retain the IG as member of SIT especially when all the remaining officers of the SIT have submitted a written complaint against his unprofessional conduct to the State police chief”. He said to add fuel to fire the IG has claimed that he has conducted an international level inquiry simply to belittle his fellow officers. “This is reflective of a mindset in which rules of conduct mean nothing to the IG”, he added. The Akali leader said since the government had admitted that it had continued to retain the IG as member of SIT illegally and in violation of the orders of the Election Commission; all unprofessional, politically motivated and unethical actions of the IG during this period should be reviewed. “This is not the first time the IG has acted in this manner. He is a habitual offender as far as professional misconduct goes and has even been pulled up by the Punjab and Haryana high court which slapped a fine on this count and forced him to apologize for the same”. Mr Majithia said the Congress government’s actions had proved the contention of the SAD that the there was a clear arrangement between the IG and the Congress party. “There is no other reason for the IG to indulge in a vendetta fuelled political probe which is nothing more than a hatchet job aimed at implementing the Congress game plan to weaken the SAD and Sikh institutions. In return for this loyalty the Congress government has been consistently giving protection to the officer. The IG is being given kids glove treatment instead of launching disciplinary proceedings against him after the EC ordered his transfer for indulging in sensational and political statements”. Stating that the SAD was committed to bringing the truth before the people and would fight tooth and nail to achieve this end, Mr Majithia said it was unbecoming for officers to masquerade as political agents of the Congress party. “The SAD rejects the witch hunt being conducted in the name of inquiry into police actions at Kotkapura and Behbalkalan and demands that the inquiry should be held by a central agency under the supervision of the Supreme Court”. Giving details of the case, Mr Majithia said during the run up to the Lok Sabha elections a SAD delegation had handed over a memorandum by MP Naresh Gujral to the Election Commission informing that IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap was misusing his official position by making sensational and political statements. He said subsequently after seeking an explanation from the Punjab government, the Commission had directed the State to relieve him as member SIT and not give him any election related work. He said though a compliance report was submitted by the State it was later learnt that the Congress government misled the Commission and did not remove the IG as member of SIT. “It is because of this that the government was forced to proffer an unconditional apology to the Commission and warned that such an act should not happen again. -PTC News
