Bhubaneswar: Paying a heavy price for checking PM Narendra Modi’s helicopter during his recent visit to Sambalpur on a poll campaign, a poll official has been suspended from his duties by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Action against the accused official identified as Mohammed Mohsin, a 1996 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer and a General Observer for the ongoing election in the State was initiated after he courted controversy by ordering for the checking of Modi’s chopper last Tuesday. The incident took place soon after the PM landed at Sambalpur to address an election rally for the BJP nominees for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
Due to the check the PM was stated to have been held up at the place for around 15 minutes.
Later, the EC sent a one-man enquiry team to Odisha to probe the matter and it found Mohsin guilty of dereliction of duty.
An order from the EC in the case said, the officer had “not acted in conformity with the ECI’s instructions” which exempts those who are protected by the SPGs from such checkings.
Notably on March 22, the EC in its order had exempted SPG-protected persons from poll flying squad checks.
Ms Kalinga
Whoever violates the rules and guidelines, need to be punished.