UP bureaucrat faces EC ire for 'publicity stunt'; shunted out as Gujarat poll observer
New Delhi (PTI): An Uttar Pradesh IAS officer has been removed as a general observer for Gujarat assembly polls by the Election Commission for indulging in a "publicity stunt" by posting pictures of his assignment on Instagram, sources said on Friday.
In a strongly-worded letter to the chief electoral officer of Gujarat on Friday, EC said the 2011 batch officer used social media platform Instagram for sharing his posting as a general observer and used his official position as a "publicity stunt".
The poll panel also shared with the CEO pictures uploaded by the officer on the social media platform, the sources said.
Citing the EC communication, the sources said the poll panel took "a very serious view" of the matter and relieved the officer immediately of his duties as a general observer.
He has also been debarred from any election related duty till further orders. The officer was also directed to leave the constituency of which he was given the responsibility immediately and report to his nodal officer in the parent cadre.
All government facilities provided to him to facilitate the discharge of his observer duties be withdrawn, the letter said, according to the sources.
Another IAS officer has been given additional charge of the assembly seats the other officer was handling, they said.
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Injured Phil Salt returns home for scans
New Delhi (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru opener Phil Salt has returned to England for scans on a finger injury sustained last month.
The injury has kept Salt out of RCB's last three matches, with compatriot Jacob Bethell stepping in at the top of the order.
The 29-year-old is reported to have "damaged a finger on his left hand" while diving to save a boundary at deep backward square leg during RCB's defeat to Delhi Capitals at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18.
"Salt, who is centrally contracted by the ECB, has since returned home at the request of England's management and has undergone scans on his finger," ESPNCricinfo reported.
According to the report, both RCB and Salt are hopeful of a speedy recovery and the opener can return to India later this month.
Salt had enjoyed a strong start to the season, amassing 202 runs in six innings at an impressive strike rate of 168.33.
RCB are currently second on the points table behind Punjab Kings. They take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday next.
