09-05-2007, 02:44 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>BJP to knock CEC's door on Chawla removal </b>
Pioneer.com
Rajeev Ranjan Roy | New Delhi
Amid the increasing possibility of a snap poll, the Bharatiya Janata Party is close to filing a fresh petition to the Chief Election Commissioner against the continuation of Navin Chawla in the Election Commission.
<b>A large number of MPs from the BJP and other constituents of the NDA have signed the petition. "A substantive number of NDA members have signed the petition. It would be submitted to the CEC for action any day now. Chawla has no moral right to hold the coveted post. The NDA would request CEC to act fast against Chawla," </b>BJP sources said.
The BJP had decided to move a fresh petition against Chawla after CEC N Gopalaswami told the Supreme Court on August 7 that he was empowered to initiate action against fellow Commissioners. His observation prompted the BJP to withdraw its petitions from the apex court, seeking the dismissal of Chawla.
Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh had filed the petition in the apex court against Chawla after the Centre refused to proceed on the NDA's plea filed before the then President APJ Abdul Kalam. Kalam had referred the case to the UPA Government, which felt there was no ground to remove Chawla.
BJP sources said the petition would have been submitted much earlier had there not been some 'unforeseen political developments' emanating from the much-hyped India-US nuclear deal.
The NDA's petition against Chawla would open a Pandora's box for the Centre, as the CEC's stand is at odds with that of the UPA Government. Contesting Gopalaswami's stand, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam had told the Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice VS Sirpurkar that "it is the executive Government alone which is empowered to initiate proceedings against the Election Commissioner."
<b>"It is left open to the CEC to proceed in accordance with the law on the representation made against the Election Commissioner. We cannot stop anyone from approaching the CEC. How can we prevent petitioners who make representation against an EC from approaching the CEC?"</b> The apex court bench had observed while hearing the petition.
When contacted, BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra confirmed the party was going to shortly petition the CEC, seeking Chawla's removal from the EC. "The fresh petition has been signed by both the BJP and other NDA members," Malhotra said.
Chawla has been the target of the BJP ever since he was appointed to the Election Commission, given his proximity to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and a slew of other charges against him.
During the much publicised compact disc (CD) controversy in the midst of UP election, the BJP leaders had sought Chawla's exclusion from the panel hearing the petitions, which sought the BJP's de-recognition for allegedly fomenting communalism.
The BJP implicitly supported the CEC position when the SC bench declared that the CEC would be free to adjudicate a petition against fellow Election Commissioners as per provisions of the law.
The BJP had even petitioned former President APJ Abdul Kalam, citing a number of charges against Chawla on which the party had questioned the impartiality of Chawla as an EC. As many as 205 NDA MPs had signed the petition.
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Pioneer.com
Rajeev Ranjan Roy | New Delhi
Amid the increasing possibility of a snap poll, the Bharatiya Janata Party is close to filing a fresh petition to the Chief Election Commissioner against the continuation of Navin Chawla in the Election Commission.
<b>A large number of MPs from the BJP and other constituents of the NDA have signed the petition. "A substantive number of NDA members have signed the petition. It would be submitted to the CEC for action any day now. Chawla has no moral right to hold the coveted post. The NDA would request CEC to act fast against Chawla," </b>BJP sources said.
The BJP had decided to move a fresh petition against Chawla after CEC N Gopalaswami told the Supreme Court on August 7 that he was empowered to initiate action against fellow Commissioners. His observation prompted the BJP to withdraw its petitions from the apex court, seeking the dismissal of Chawla.
Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh had filed the petition in the apex court against Chawla after the Centre refused to proceed on the NDA's plea filed before the then President APJ Abdul Kalam. Kalam had referred the case to the UPA Government, which felt there was no ground to remove Chawla.
BJP sources said the petition would have been submitted much earlier had there not been some 'unforeseen political developments' emanating from the much-hyped India-US nuclear deal.
The NDA's petition against Chawla would open a Pandora's box for the Centre, as the CEC's stand is at odds with that of the UPA Government. Contesting Gopalaswami's stand, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam had told the Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice VS Sirpurkar that "it is the executive Government alone which is empowered to initiate proceedings against the Election Commissioner."
<b>"It is left open to the CEC to proceed in accordance with the law on the representation made against the Election Commissioner. We cannot stop anyone from approaching the CEC. How can we prevent petitioners who make representation against an EC from approaching the CEC?"</b> The apex court bench had observed while hearing the petition.
When contacted, BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra confirmed the party was going to shortly petition the CEC, seeking Chawla's removal from the EC. "The fresh petition has been signed by both the BJP and other NDA members," Malhotra said.
Chawla has been the target of the BJP ever since he was appointed to the Election Commission, given his proximity to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and a slew of other charges against him.
During the much publicised compact disc (CD) controversy in the midst of UP election, the BJP leaders had sought Chawla's exclusion from the panel hearing the petitions, which sought the BJP's de-recognition for allegedly fomenting communalism.
The BJP implicitly supported the CEC position when the SC bench declared that the CEC would be free to adjudicate a petition against fellow Election Commissioners as per provisions of the law.
The BJP had even petitioned former President APJ Abdul Kalam, citing a number of charges against Chawla on which the party had questioned the impartiality of Chawla as an EC. As many as 205 NDA MPs had signed the petition.
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