Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla.
Credit: X/@TruptiGarg
Mumbai: More than a week after the Election Commission of India (ECI) visited Mumbai to review the progress ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls, the Congress yet again demanded the removal of Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla.
On September 24, the Congress wrote to ECI seeking her removal from top police post in the state.
From 26-29, the ECI team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar were in Mumbai for the review, when the Congress once again raised the issue.
Now with a few days remaining for the announcement of polls, the Congress raised the issue again.
“Rashmi Shukla has been illegally extended as DGP of the state and Shukla has a record of many serious crimes. Rashmi Shukla, a high-ranking officer, works for the BJP,” said Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole.
“The state government has cited the Prakash Singh judgement of the Supreme Court to support the extension of time given to Rashmi Shukla , but the Supreme Court's verdict is for fixing the tenure of the police chief and the state government has misinterpreted this verdict. The decision to extend Rashmi Shukla may set a dangerous precedent in the country,” he said.
“By circumventing the norms laid down by the Union Public Service Commission ( UPSC) for the appointment of senior police officers, extending the deadline in such a manner may lead to a misstep. It is feared that similar appointments will be made in other states in future,” Patole said, hitting out at the BJP-led Centre and the Maha Yuti government in Maharashtra.