SAMBALPUR: An officer posted as General Observer in Odisha has been suspended by the Election Commission for allegedly checking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter in Sambalpur on Tuesday, in violation of norms. The 1996 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, Mohammed Mohsin, has not acted in conformity with the Election Commission’s instructions concerning Special Protection Group or SPG protectees, an order issued by the commission said.
“Checking of the prime minister’s chopper, undertaken at Sambalpur, was not in accordance with the Election Commission guidelines as SPG protectees are exempt from such checking,” said a senior official without elaborating. The prime minister was stated to have been held up at the place for around 15 minutes because of the sudden checking, the official said.
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With the Apex Court spurring it into action and just 24 hours left for the second phase, the Election Commission went into overdrive on Wednesday as its flying squads swooped down on houses of political leaders, their vehicles and choppers, to check for unaccounted cash. Choppers and cars of three senior politicians – Naveen Patnaik, HD Kumaraswamy and BS Yeddyurappa – were checked by the squads.
Officials stopped the chopper of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, as it was about to take off, at a helipad in Rourkela and scanned his luggage. The Chief Minister was seated in the chopper during the search. The officials however have not said if anything objectionable was found.
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s luggage was also checked by the flying squad as soon as his chopper landed at a helipad in Shivamogga district. The Karnataka Chief Minister has been openly critical of the income tax raids. He alleged that the Prime Minister was running an “administration of fear.”
“Why should I be afraid of I-T raids…the way I-T is working – is it right?” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The Election Commission’s flying squad also conducted raids at former Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangaswamy’s house. The All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder was reportedly at home when the raids were carried out.
