Putting an end to the ongoing controversy, the Election Commission of India (ECI) rejected the state government’s proposal to transfer Ludhiana deputy commissioner Varinder Sharma ahead of assembly elections.
It has been learnt that the ECI sent a formal document to the state government on Tuesday, stating that the proposal was considered and rejected.
Row had erupted over the government’s proposal to transfer Sharma, amid his alleged tussle with a cabinet minister. The matter got murkier as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) submitted a complaint with the ECI alleging that Sharma was being “targeted” for working against the land mafia which, they claimed, enjoys the support of senior Congress leaders, MLAs and cabinet ministers.
Submitting a complaint with the ECI in Chandigarh on Tuesday, AAP leaders including Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency in-charge Amandeep Mohi, spokesperson Ahbaab Grewal and joint secretary, Kisan wing, Gurjit Singh Gill demanded that the ECI should reject the proposal.
In the complaint, the AAP leaders alleged that Sharma had “angered Congress leaders” by not allowing the sale of a prime land in Model Town Extension at throwaway prices in the past. He had also reportedly marked an inquiry into the wrongdoings of a Congress MLA. Due to this, the senior Congress leaders in the city came at loggerheads with the DC, AAP had claimed.
As per the guidelines of ECI, prior approval of the commission is mandatory for transfer of any officer engaged in revision of electoral rolls during an election year due to extraordinary reasons. Due to this, the state government had sent a proposal to the Election Commission to transfer Sharma from the city. AAP leaders claimed that Dr Amarpal Singh, who they termed as a controversial officer, was being considered for the post of Ludhiana DC. AAP alleged that Singh is a “blue-eyed” boy of former chief ministers Captain Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal. His name had also come up in the multi-crore iron ore scam in 2017, which had led to losses worth crores to the public exchequer. But Singh was pardoned by the former CM, the AAP claimed.
{{/usCountry}}As per the guidelines of ECI, prior approval of the commission is mandatory for transfer of any officer engaged in revision of electoral rolls during an election year due to extraordinary reasons. Due to this, the state government had sent a proposal to the Election Commission to transfer Sharma from the city. AAP leaders claimed that Dr Amarpal Singh, who they termed as a controversial officer, was being considered for the post of Ludhiana DC. AAP alleged that Singh is a “blue-eyed” boy of former chief ministers Captain Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal. His name had also come up in the multi-crore iron ore scam in 2017, which had led to losses worth crores to the public exchequer. But Singh was pardoned by the former CM, the AAP claimed.
{{/usCountry}}Claiming to have been instrumental in stopping the transfer of DC Sharma, AAP leaders, including Grewal and Gill, appreciated the actions of the ECI.