Advise Shah to ask Himanta Shivraj not to instigate communal tension in Jharkhand State to EC

Ranchi, Sep 10 (PTI) The Jharkhand government has urged the EC to ask Union Home Minister Amit Shah to issue an advisory to BJP leaders Himanta Biswa Sarma and Shivraj Singh Chouhan to desist from "instigating" communal tension in the state for "narrow political gains" by misusing the official machinery.
    In a missive to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, the Jharkhand government has also urged him to advise Shah "not to allow the misuse of the official position of CM, Assam and the state official machinery at the expense of public exchequer for political gains and desist from direct interference in internal affairs of the state in blatant violation of constitutional norms".
    The developments come at a time when elections to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly are due later this year.
    Principal Secretary Cabinet Secretariat and Vigilance Department, Jharkhand, Vandana Dadel, in a recent letter to the Election Commission of India, has accused the saffron party of making attempts to "scare the administrative and police officers" so that they may not take just and lawful preventive and punitive action especially when the BJP is trying to create "communal disturbance and tension in the area by influencing religious passions and creating communal disturbances".
    The letter also urged EC to "ensure impartiality and give opportunity to both sides and conduct a detailed inquiry before taking any action against government officers and police officers posted in Jharkhand in connection with the upcoming assembly elections".
    Citing examples of removal of officials from election duty during the Lok Sabha elections, the letter mentions "this systematic and well-planned attack on the bureaucracy and police of the state of Jharkhand has led to a widespread feeling of fear and demoralisation in the rank and file of the bureaucracy and police department of Jharkhand... these are attempts of wild goose hunt of falsely taking officers to tasks in case the BJP comes to power in the state".
    It alleged that attempts were being made not only to threaten top bureaucrats of the state but to "paralyse and cripple the entire administration" and demanded "strongest possible action" against "leaders who are indulging in mud-slinging, interfering in the internal affairs and administration of the state".
    On Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's allegation that the JMM-led coalition was patronising Bangladeshi infiltration, the state government said it is a sensitive issue with serious internal security and international relations ramifications.
    "It is well known that the influx of immigrants into India is in large part due to the international border with Bangladesh in Assam. Given the magnitude of the Bangladeshi illegal immigration issue in Assam, the Hon'ble CM of Assam should desist from instigating and fomenting disturbances and disharmony among communities in the state of Jharkhand," it said.
    The state government also questioned whether a chief minister of a state while on a visit to another state within the federal structure of the Union of India, can make false allegations and statements, against the functioning of the administration and internal affairs of the host state including its policies, and false statements amounting to character assassination of the government leaders, DGP and other officials.
    "These activities are clear misuse of state official machinery at the expense of public exchequer for political gains... when the elections to the state assembly of Jharkhand are yet to be announced, is it legally tenable for a political party to appoint a person as election in-charge of the state of Jharkhand and whether such person has the right to commence election campaign at this time," the letter added.
    It questioned whether it is not a violation of the level playing field that the Election Commission has committed to as part of its free and fair election.
    Terming it a "serious infraction of the spirit of the Model Code of Conduct", the state government said, "This is a serious violation of the ethics upon which the Model Code of Conduct, a result of in-depth consultation among all political parties, is based."
    The letter said that Chouhan and Sarma were made the BJP's state election in-charge on June 17 and during their frequent visits to state the entire machinery is on alert to extend Z-plus security.
    "The Government of Jharkhand has been discharging its duties and responsibilities in extending all required facilities," the letter said, alleging that during their visits, both leaders indulged in provocative and hostile statements, blatant allegations against the administration of Jharkhand.
    "These activities appear to be a deliberate and a planned scheme to falsely and wrongfully malign the administrative officials such that when the Model Code of Conduct comes into force, reports based on false charges can be prepared of such officers and sent to the EC to act against such officers and top bureaucrats of the state. This appears to be a prelude of things to come," it stated.
    When contacted, Election Commission officials declined to make any comment while Sarma said if any such letter has been written, Election Commission will take cognisance of the letter.
    "I am not doing any politics... I ask Hemant Soren to reform the state... give jobs to family members of youth who died during the excise constable recruitment drive," the Assam chief minister said in Ranchi on Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)