SAD urges EC to take action against IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh

New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take action against Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh for continuing as a member of the SIT probing the incidents of police firings at Kotkapura and Behbalkalan in violation of the orders of the electoral body.
A high-level SAD delegation led by MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder called on the Election Commission and apprised it that the police officer had continued to work as a member of SIT even after the state government submitted a compliance report regarding the order to the Commission, read a statement from the party.
The delegation, including MP Naresh Gujral, Daljit Singh Cheema and Darbara Singh Guru, also submitted a copy of the charge sheet signed by the IG on May 23 as a member of SIT to the Election Commission, stating that this proved that Singh had continued to function as an SIT member even after he was relieved from this post by the electoral body on May 5.
The ECI had taken action after a complaint was filed by SAD MP Naresh Gujral in which he had pointed out that the IG was making political statements during the Model Code of Conduct. As per the EC order, the IG could not function as a member of the SIT until the withdrawal of the Model Code of Conduct on May 26.
The SAD also demanded disciplinary action against all those who were responsible for the implementation of the EC order, the statement read.
"They said the EC's order of May 5 removing the IG as a member of SIT had been communicated to the Punjab Chief Secretary for the compliance. They said the Chief Minister wrote to the ECI on May 10, saying its order had been complied with and that the IG had been removed as a member of the SIT team," the statement added.
The delegation said that now it had come to light that the EC order had not been complied with despite the fact that the EC did not consider the appeal filed by the state government in this context.
The leaders said that Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had sought review of the order, saying it would cause interference in the ongoing investigation but this contention had not been accepted by the EC, SAD stated in the statement.
The SAD delegation also apprised the EC that the Chief Minister had also misled the Commission by publically stating in election rallies that the IG would be brought back into the SIT immediately after the Model Code of Conduct was withdrawn. The delegation even submitted news clippings in this regard. (ANI)