The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the West Bengal government to appoint Sanjay Mukherjee as the state's DGP. Within 24 hours of their initial directive, ECI removed Vivek Sahay from his post and issued new instructions to appoint Mukherjee in his stead.
According to news agencies, Sahay was appointed on seniority but is due to retire in the first week of May, before the completion of the Lok Sabha elections. Therefore, the Commission directed the appointment of Mukherjee as the new DGP.
Officer Sanjay Mukherjee, a 1989 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, was second on the list of proposed candidates submitted by the West Bengal government to the ECI for the position of DGP. The state was instructed to ensure compliance immediately and to confirm the appointment by Tuesday evening.
Ensuring Fairness and Transparency in the Electoral Process
ECI has taken this crucial step to uphold the principles of fairness, transparency, and freedom in the electoral process. On Monday morning, the Commission had ordered the removal of West Bengal Police Director General, Rajiv Kumar, and several other high-ranking officials from different states to maintain the integrity of the elections.
ECI has also ordered the removal of key officials in six states in a decisive move to maintain the principles of free, fair, and transparent elections.
West Bengal BJP President Welcomes ECI's Decision
West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar has welcomed the step taken by ECI on Monday to remove Rajeev Kumar as the state's DGP. Majumdar expressed that Kumar's removal was crucial due to his compromised stance and inability to conduct fair elections. He further claimed that there are many 'Rajeev Kumars' on Mamata Banerjee's payroll across West Bengal.
