Hyderabad, June 18: The Opposition TDP and the CPI have alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was behind the row between DGP SSP Yadav and the Election Commission in which the former sought reasons for his transfer during the Lok Sabha and the Assembly polls.
Mr Yadav and state Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao held meetings with Chief Secretary P Ramakanth Reddy separately at the State Secretariat while senior TDP leader N Janardhan Reddy yesterday pointed out at a press conference here that Mr Yadav could not question the power of the independent Constitutional body empowered to hold free and fair elections across the country.
CPI State Secretary K Narayana threatened that his party would launch state-wide stir if Mr Yadav did not stop questioning the Election Commission. He claimed while talking to reporters in Guntur that the Chief Minister was allegedly behind Mr Yadav in questioning the EC.
Mr Yadav earlier wrote three letters to the state Chief Electoral Officer, seeking reasons for his removal on the eve of the simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Assembly based on ”unfounded allegations”. The CEO had responded to two letters by sending the DGP a copy of the Election Commission’s transfer order and the procedure followed by it in the appointment of Mr A K Mohanty as his successor. Mr Yadav had ”praised” the Rajasekhara Reddy Government’s efforts to review the poll preparedness at a police officers’ meeting in Kurnool. On complaints from Opposition parties that Mr Yadav had violated the model code of conduct in force, the Election Commission had ordered for his transfer.
While Mr Yadav was away in Singapore attending an international conference, the Election Commission had ordered for his replacement with Mr A K Mohanty as the DGP.
A day after assuming office, the Chief Minister had reinstated Mr Yadav as the DGP.
——Agencies