PM chopper check: TN IAS officers upset with suspension of Mohsin

“The purpose of model of conduct has been defeated in Odisha. Those who passed out in the1996 batch are discussing the issue and different state IAS Officers Associations are planning to rake up the issue. But who is to bell the cat is the question that is discussed at the Secretariat,” a senior IAS officer with Tamil Nadu IAS officers Association told DT Next. In my opinion, this is a great injustice to poll observer. There is no rule excluding the convoy or chopper of Prime Minister and Chief Ministers to be under EC scanner. When the convoys of elected CMs can be checked why not the PM who is a leader of the political party, opined the official who had been a general observer twice to north Indian states.

“The Election Commission has behaved like a regular government department failing to realise its constitutional role. During the time of elections, Modi cannot be treated as PM, he is just a candidate and a leader of a political party. This raid had exposed the EC and the suspension is unfortunate,” opined retired IAS officer MG Devasahayam.

EC is not functioning as a constitutional authority. It is the duty of SPG to protect the PM and the not the EC to give exemptions for a politician. We will soon register our protest in this regard, the former bureaucrat said.

SQ Quraishi, former chief election commissioner also tweeted that the EC had a missed a great opportunity to restore its image, but also the PM himself. The “raid” on PM’s chopper should have been used to demonstrate that the law is equal for everybody, the former CEC had tweeted.