Karnataka duty bound to hold inquiry against official who checked PM Modi's helicopter: CAT
Bengaluru: The Central Administrative Tribunal's bench here has held that it is the Karnataka government's duty to comply with the Election Commission of India's request for an inquiry against IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin who checked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's helicopter last year and directed an explanation from him.
The bench, after hearing the State, which sought to take disciplinary action against the official on the basis of ECI's recommendation and him challenging it, indicated that if his explanation was found to be unsatisfactory, "a retired Chief Secretary should conduct the inquiry."
The Karnataka cadre officer, deployed in Odisha as a general observer during last year's Lok Sabha polls, was suspended for checking Prime Minister Modi's chopper in Sambalpur of that State in violation of norms for dealing with Special Protection Group protectees.
Suspended for dereliction of duty, the EC later shifted him to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer here from Sambalpur.
After considering a report from a senior poll panel official into the matter, the ECI recommended disciplinary action against Mohsin and his suspension was also revoked.
In its order, the tribunal, comprising judicial member Dr K B Suresh and Administrative member C V Sankar cited ECI's April 25, 2019 order, in which the poll panel recommended disciplinary action against Mohsin to Karnataka.
"...we hold that there is nothing wrong in the part of the State government and in fact they could not have done anything else as the borrowing authority (ECI) has complained and it is their (State) fundamental duty to comply with the request to conduct an inquiry and find out the truth and revert back," the order said.
The bench directed the authorities to first seek an explanation from Mohsin and further said: "...we direct that a retired chief secretary of Karnataka cadre should conduct the inquiry, should the government decide to conduct an inquiry after due and unbiased examination of the explanation given by the applicant."
The tribunal said the borrowing authority, the poll panel in the present matter, has no disciplinary control over the person deputed except under certain situations that are limited in scope.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
