The Congress on Monday asked the Election Commission to take action against Indian Police Service officer Rashmi Shukla, alleging that she met Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in violation of the Model Code of Conduct during the Assembly elections in the state, PTI reported.
The code is a set of guidelines issued by the poll panel for political parties, candidates and governments to follow during an election. It sets guardrails for speeches, meetings, processions, election manifestos and other aspects of the polls.
Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe alleged that Shukla met Fadnavis at his official residence on November 23, during the counting of votes for the Assembly elections, while the Model Code of Conduct was still in effect. Fadnavis is also the state home minister.
Londhe’s claims came weeks after the Election Commission ordered Shukla’s immediate transfer as the Maharashtra Director General of Police ahead of the Assembly elections.
The order was issued on November 4 amid allegations from the Congress that Shukla was biased against the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state. The coalition comprises the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Sharad Pawar and the Congress.
On Monday, Londhe told reporters: “Rashmi Shukla met the state home minister when the Model Code of Conduct was in place, which is a clear violation”. The Election Commission should take a serious note of this and act against her immediately, he added.
He also cited a similar incident in Telangana, where Director General of Police Anjani Kumar faced action for meeting the then Chief Minister-designate A Revanth Reddy during the elections, The Hindu reported.
“Why is the EC [Election Commission] quick to act in non-BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] states but appears blind to such violations in states ruled by the saffron party?” Londhe asked. “This raises serious questions.”
The Congress noted that Shukla had been accused of serious offences, including tapping the phones of Opposition leaders.
“Congress demanded her removal from the post of DGP during the elections, and she was removed,” he said. “However, though the Assembly poll results have been declared, the Model Code of Conduct was still in force when she met the state home minister, and it is a blatant violation.”
The poll panel should ensure accountability and take swift action against Shukla, he said, according to PTI.
In the Assembly elections in Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, the Shiv Sena group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar won 230 out of 288 seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi won just 46 seats.
Ahead of polling, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on October 31 wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, accusing Shukla of having a “clear bias” against the Opposition.
He alleged that the phones of Opposition leaders were tapped when she was the Pune police commissioner and the commissioner of the state intelligence department.
Following this, Shukla was transferred and Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar was given additional charge as the state director general of police.
In February 2022, when the Maha Vikas Aghadi was in power, the state government filed cases against Shukla for allegedly tapping the phones of Patole and Uddhav Sena MP Sanjay Raut.
However, the Bombay High Court set aside the cases in 2023 on a petition filed by Shukla.
Rashmi Shukla reinstated as DGP
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Monday reinstated Shukla as the director general of police in the state, PTI reported.
With the completion of the electoral process and the announcement of the election results, the Model Code of Conduct was lifted on Monday, according to an order from the state home department.
As a result, the state government has ended Shukla’s forced leave and instructed her to resume her duties as director general of police, it added.
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