Cong urges EC action in HPSC political appointments
New Delhi: The Congress has sought Election Commission’s intervention over the Bharatiya Janata Party government appointing people linked to the BJP in Haryana public service commission ahead of Assembly elections, scheduled later this year.
A delegation of Congress leaders, led by former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, state party chief Kumari Selja and Abhishek Manu Singhvi met the poll panel and handed over a memorandum.
“The officials of the HPSC and the Haryana Staff Selection Commission have repeatedly been acting as political agents of the BJP government in the state,” the Congress said in memorandum.
After the meeting with the Election Commission officials, Singhvi said the BJP office-bearers and secretaries to BJP MPs and Ministers had been appointed to the HPSC.
“They have been made chairmen and members to control the commission,” he alleged. The Rajya sabha MP alleged that by appointing such people, efforts are bring made to announce vacancies even when the model code of conduct is in force.
“During the Jind by-election, around 18,000 vacancies had been announced,” they alleged.
Such announcements were aimed at affecting the poll outcome, Singhvi said and added, indirectly the commission “sends out a message to people to vote for a particular party.”
“Nobody has any problem if vacancies are announced 4-6 weeks after the elections,” he said.
He also said many HPSC officials were facing serious criminal charges, including of bribery. “We have also complained to the poll panel that the Haryana government has not shown any seriousness and swiftness in these cases. More efforts have been made to protect the accused than to prosecute them,” he said.
All these efforts were aimed at disturbing the level-playing field in the elections, Singhvi said and requested the commission to use its power under Article 324 and pass immediate directions to prevent the state government from misusing any officials or agencies.