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The EC also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Kunwar Fateh Bahadur and State DGP Brij Lal from their posts. Both the SP and the BJP had earlier petitioned the EC seeking the removal of the two officers and Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh.
Late on Saturday night, the government posted Manjit Singh, Principal Secretary, Planning and Medical Education, as the new Principal Secretary (Home), and Atul, DG, Anti Corruption Organisation, as the new DGP of the state.
Informing the media about the EC’s decision, BSP national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra sought to play the caste card, saying that both the officers who have been shunted out belong to the Scheduled Caste. He said the move may affect the sense of security among the SC voters. He said the BSP government had appointed SC officers to important posts, creating a sense of security among the Dalits in the state.
Earlier in the day, announcing the decision to order that the statues be covered, Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said: “These statues would be covered so that these public properties cannot be used for political mileage.” He added that government funds were used to install the statues of Mayawati and elephants. He said statues of former prime ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi would also be covered.
Quraishi said the EC was committed towards ensuring a “level playing field” in the elections. He added that instructions have already been sent for removing “calenders and hoardings displaying photographs of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister”.
Raising the issue, a petitioner had earlier approached the EC seeking “appropriate steps” to ensure a “level playing field” in the elections. Several party leaders had also demanded that the statues of Mayawati and elephants be covered during their meeting with the EC here yesterday.
With the notification for the first phase of polling scheduled be issued on January 10, the statues are expected to be covered before that.
Objecting to the EC’s decision on the statues, Mishra said: “This is not fair and against natural justice”. Claiming it was a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, he said the decision was taken on the petition of people who are anti-Dalit. He added that the BSP had hoped that the EC would give it a hearing before taking any decision on the matter.
He asked if the EC would seize all lotus flowers — the BJP’s symbol — from flower markets, ponds and outside temples, or if it would ban the use of bicycles — the SP’s poll symbol — on the roads, or give an order to cover all hands — the Congress’s poll symbol.
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Satish chandra Mishra does`t have common sense or he thinks that populace is ignorant.....usually electoral symbols are of common usage articles which can not be ruled out from ones life...but building huge objects depicting its symbol and erecting at prominent places across the region not only waste public money but also a mockery of political system ethos. I hope in the years to come when all Indian electorate is educated,all the symbols should be removed only parties and their name should only be their identity!