BJP demands to remove Dantewada Collector
| Date :06-Sep-2019 |
BJP delegation including Dharamlal Kaushik, Brijmohan Agrawal,Ajay Chandrakar led by State President Vikram Usendi at the office of Chief Electoral Officer, Chhattisgarh.
Staff Reporter :
Collector Verma is a close relative of CM
Adequate security demanded for BJP workers and public representatives during the election in a memorandum to ECI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted a memorandum to Election Commission of India, New Delhi, pertaining to by-elections in Dantewada Assembly constituency, seeking immediate removal of Dantewada Collector and District Returning Officer Topeshwar Verma, adequate security for BJP workers and public representatives during the course of election, checking misuse of government machinery and resources, action against Chairman of Justice Agnihotri Judicial Commission and many other demands. A copy of the said memorandum was also submitted to Subrat Sahoo, Chief Electoral Officer, Chhattisgarh, for necessary action by a BJP delegation led by State President Vikram Usendi, who was accompanied by BJP Legislative Party Leader Dharamlal Kaushik and Brijmohan Agrawal and Ajay Chandrakar and Naresh Chandra Gupta BJP State Legal Convener.
The memorandum, states that polling is scheduled on September 23, 2019 at (880 Dantewada Assembly constituency for by-election, being conducted due to dreaded killing of sitting BJP Legislator Bheema Mandavi, who was killed by Maoists on the last day of election campaigning for Lok Sabha elections 2019. Hence in order to ensure free and fair elections in Dantewada, the BJP demanded immediate action on the demands put forth in the memorandum.
The memorandum states that the District Collector and District Returning Officer Topeshwar Verma is a close relative of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and hence it is not possible to carry out free and fair election as, if he continues as District Collector he will work in support of ruling party, alleged BJP. Hence the Election Commission should immediately remove Topeshwar Verma from the post of District Collector with immediate affect for ensuring free and fair election. The BJP has also urged the Election Commission of India to immediately dissolve the Judicial Commission chaired by Justice (Retd) Satish K Agnihotri, constituted by the incumbent State Government to carry out enquiry into the killing of Late Bhima Mandavi, alleging that its Chairman is allegedly acting like a spokesperson of Congress. When the BJP candidate for the Dantewada bye-election was filing her nomination forms, at that time Justice (retd) Satish K Agnihotri was making public the commission’s proceedings in a press conference. The BJP while alleging that such conduct comes in the category of judicial misconduct and by doing so the Chairman has lost the trust of people.
Also when this dreaded murder is being investigated by NIA, under such situation, this conduct of the Commission is highly objectionable and amounts to influencing NIA investigations. Hence the Commission should be dissolved with immediate affect so that proper enquiry can be carried out and to ensure free and fair elections, demanded BJP. The BJP further demanded that since Dantewada Assembly constituency is considered hyper sensitive Left Wing Extremism affected area, at a time when the state government is not providing security to BJP party workers and they are being stopped from election campaigning. At the same the BJP leaders and workers are being regularly threatened, where the DRO is a close representative of Chief Minister, hence the whole constituency should be taken under the security cover of central security forces so as to ensure free and fair elections.
The BJP also demanded action against usage of Mendhka Dobra Maidan, situated within Maa Danteshwari temple premises, by Indian National Congress on September 4, 2019 for holding a public meeting, which amounts to gross violation of Model Code of Election Conduct. It also complained that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, several Ministers and AICC State In charge P L Puniya had used state plane while attending nomination filing process on September 4, 2019, which is also violation of Model Code of Election Conduct. The BJP has urged the Election Commission of India and CEO Chhattisgarh to take positive decisions on all the points raised by it in the memorandum so that free and fair elections can be conducted under fear-free environment.