The Election Commission of India has suspended Anjani Kumar, director general of police Telangana for violation of the Model Code of conduct and relevant conduct rules during the Telangana assembly election 2023, news agency ANI reported citing sources.
The Telangana DGP along with Sanjay Jain, state police nodal officer, Telangana, and Mahesh Bhagwat, nodal (expenditure), had met Anumula Revanth Reddy, a contesting candidate of the Congress in the ongoing assembly election in Hyderabad with flower bouquet at the residence of the state Congress president, ANI added.
The DGP opting to meet a contesting candidate out of the total of 2,290 and the star campaigner of one political party out of 16 political parties in the fray was a clear indication of mala fide intention of seeking favour, sources told news agency PTI.
The Congress was set to oust the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) from power in Telangana, assembly poll results and trends showed.
The sources at the poll panel said the DGP is the head of the force of the state police sand is expected to lead the entire police services of the state by setting an example through his personal impartial conduct.
“Any misconduct on the part of DGP Telangana not only sets a wrong precedent but sends incorrect signals to the field formations who are still in the process of conducting elections. Needless to add if subordinate police officers in the field formations start following the footsteps of their seniors to meet candidates abandoning their counting and security-related duties, the consequences can be disastrous of unimaginable proportions,” EC sources added.
{{/usCountry}}“Any misconduct on the part of DGP Telangana not only sets a wrong precedent but sends incorrect signals to the field formations who are still in the process of conducting elections. Needless to add if subordinate police officers in the field formations start following the footsteps of their seniors to meet candidates abandoning their counting and security-related duties, the consequences can be disastrous of unimaginable proportions,” EC sources added.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, EC has also sought an explanation from other two officials, Sanjay Kumar Jain and Mahesh M Bhagwat, about the circumstances under which they have met with Revanth Reddy.
"The next senior most eligible Police Officer of the State will be immediately given charge of Director General of Police Telangana," the EC sources said.