THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Oct 27: The ruling JMM today shot off a letter to the Election Commission of India seeking the removal of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar and two senior IPS officers, Sanjay Anand Lathkar and A V Homkar.
While Lathkar is ADGP (operation), Homkar is a Nodal officer for security during elections.
JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya, in his letter, has cited an incident in which the Giridih police today intercepted a vehicle carrying Mandal Murmu along with some other persons. “When asked, the people on board did not reply as to where they were going. So, the police detained the vehicle,” he added.
Mandal Murmu happens to be one of the proposers of Hemant Soren, who has filed his nomination from the Barhait assembly constituency.
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Bhattacharya alleged that the three officers, misusing their official position, put undue pressure on the Giridih administration to release the vehicle.
Dubbing the issue as serious, he said that the ECI should immediately hold a probe into the incident and relieve these officers of electoral jobs for free and fair elections in Jharkhand.
He said that Hemant Soren is our star campaigner and his proposer is being influenced to adversely impact the electoral outcome. “It is a gross violation of the model code of conduct,” he maintained.
Later addressing a press conference, he alleged that the Central government is using all tactics to influence the elections in Jharkhand. “So, it is the job of EC to ensure fair and free polls,” he maintained.
