We feel vindicated, says BJP over CEC's action on Chawla

Welcoming Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami's recommendation for the removal of his colleague Navin Chawla, BJP said the move would strengthen the autonomy and impartial nature of the poll panel.

Welcoming Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami's recommendation for the removal of his colleague Navin Chawla, BJP on Saturday said the move would strengthen the autonomy and impartial nature of the poll panel.

HT Image

"More than 200 MPs petitioned the President seeking the removal of Chawla as Election Commissioner. The Congress- led government did not act on that. We hope the President would at least act now," senior BJP Leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters in Hyderabad.

"We are happy that our stand has been vindicated," he said.

Naidu also accused the UPA Government of undermining the independent nature of various Constitutional bodies like Supreme Court, CAG and CBI.

The recommendation comes nearly three months before Gopalaswami is to demit office on April 20 and is based on a petition by the BJP which had complained against the "partisan" functioning of Chawla.

The BJP had alleged that Chawla was close to the Congress party.