By IANS
Ahmedabad : Civil society activists in Gujarat will represent to the State Election Commission on the transfer of 41 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers announced by Gujarat government ahead of assembly polls.
Eyebrows have been raised at the transfers effected Sunday night as they come just before the formal announcement of assembly elections, due by December, and critics say police officials seen to be close to the Narendra Modi government have been posted to constituencies likely to witness close contests or from where key Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries might contest.
“We have sought an appointment with the State Election Commissioner on Oct 3 and 4. We have conveyed that we want to discuss the issue of the police transfers. We hope our voice will be heard,” D.N. Rath of the Movement of Secular Democracy (MSD) told IANS Monday.
Rath, however, pointed out that little could be done in terms of any legal action against the transfers since the election schedule had not been announced yet.
“All that can be done is to raise our concern and see how things turn out,” he said.
The transfers have come following an Election Commission directive stating that those IPS officials who have completed more than three years of service at the same place or are serving in their home district should be transferred.
But what is being questioned is the appointment of certain officials to some key posts.
Fifteen of the officers transferred are superintendents of police (SPs) – a key field posting as far as elections are concerned. Rights activists say that at least nine of the 15 SPs transferred had spent only nine months in the last posting.
Noteworthy among the transfers is that of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Sudhir Sinha, who was moved from state intelligence to Rajkot where he will return as police commissioner for a third term.
He had been brought to Rajkot as commissioner just before Chief Minister Modi contested the assembly election from the city in late 2001 – his first election after replacing Keshubhai Patel in October 2001.
Rajkot is considered crucial for the ruling BJP as a number of major rebels in the party – Patel, suspended legislator Siddharth Parmar and MP Vallabhbhai Kathiria – are from Rajkot district.
Also in question is the appointment of I.M. Desai as deputy inspector general (border range). The post had fallen vacant after the arrest of D.G. Vanjhara in the controversial case of killing Sohrabuddin Sheikh, a Muslim youth, in a fake police shootout. Desai has been booked in a dowry harassment case in Ahmedabad.
Modi’s critics have also pointed out that Ahmedabad Crime Branch chief Ashish Bhatia and Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manoj Agrawal have not been transferred despite serving for four years in their present postings.
Promotions of Inspectors General of Police A.I. Saiyed and Rajan Priyadarshi to the rank of ADGP after superseding of some officials are also being questioned.
Father Cedric Prakash, who heads human rights organisation Prashant, said: “Everyone knows the motives behind the transfers. We cannot protest against them but we will definitely take up the matter with the State Election Commission.
“Activists are having consultations on the issue and if need be we will also take up the matter with the Central Election Commission.”
However, Modi’s supporters see the criticism as the rights organisations’ stock reaction to any move from the chief minister.
“They raised noises even when his announcement of a reward to cricketers Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan on winning the Twenty20 World Cup came a couple of hours later than others. It doesn’t matter to Modi. His support base gets solidified all the more,” said Praful Goradia, a Jana Sangh leader and former BJP MP.