NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: State Congress president Nana Patole had, in a letter to CEC Rajiv Kumar on Oct 31, sought state DGP Rashmi Shukla’s removal, accusing her of a “clear bias” against opposition parties in the state. He brought up previous accusations against her of having resorted to illegal tapping of opposition leaders’ phones as commissioner of police, Pune and commissioner of the state intelligence wing.
A source said Shukla is perceived as close to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. With the CEC having made it clear earlier — at review meetings and during the announcement of assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand — that senior officials engaged in conduct of polls not only need to be impartial and fair but also perceived as non-partisan in their conduct, the EC is believed to have taken serious view of the opposition’s lack of confidence in Shukla and decided to rule out any scope for perceived bias, by transferring Shukla with immediate effect.
Days before the Maharashtra poll dates were announced, former NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai by assailants purportedly affiliated to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Patole, in his letter to EC, had alleged that the state had witnessed several incidents of political violence against opposition leaders over the past few days. “While the DGP of Jharkhand was removed immediately after the model code of conduct was enforced, DGP Maharashtra was exempted,” he had complained.
Shukla was due to retire on June 30, 2024 but was granted extension until Jan 2026. The CEC, Rajiv Kumar, had last month justified her appointment, saying the extension was in accordance with norms prescribed by Supreme Court. However, since then, pressure from opposition parties has grown. Patole himself sent 3 letters to the EC questioning her continuance as state police chief.
Shukla’s appointment was controversial as she had, during the previous BJP-Shiv Sena regime, allegedly ordered phones of opposition politicians to be tapped. Shukla is said to have sent a confidential report on corruption in police postings to then DGP Subodh Jaiswal based on tapped phone conversations of leading opposition leaders such as Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and state Congress chief Nana Patole (see graphic). Two FIRs were registered against Shukla by the subsequent MVA govt for phone-tapping. The cases were later closed.
As the poll campaign got underway, Shukla’s functioning came under more scrutiny. Last week, the CEC in a statement expressed concern over “politically motivated” crimes in Maharashtra and asked the IPS officer of the 1998 batch to clampdown on events that vitiated the electoral atmosphere and disturbed the level-playing field. The statement came in the wake of large cash seizures and a few clashes. Adding to opposition concern, Sharad Pawar said in Baramati last week that high-ranking officials had told him that police vehicles were openly being to provide assistance to members of the ruling party in view of the assembly polls.
Patole had lodged his first complaint against Shukla on Sept 24. He had demanded her immediate removal on grounds that she was granted an extension illegally, was misusing her power, and that under her administration, the conduct of free and fair elections would be compromised. On Oct 4, he wrote another letter, followed by yet another on Oct 31. In fact, during the CEC’s visit to Mumbai, a Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee delegation also submitted a memorandum to him.
While Pawar and Thackeray welcomed the transfer, saying such officers should not continue in sensitive posts, Fadnavis said, “I have no comments on the EC’s decision…significantly, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and Nana Patole have welcomed it. When Congress lost in Haryana, they criticized EC, now they have appreciated the EC decision. After elections, if Mahayuti retains power, they should not change their view on the EC.”