In an interesting turn of events, the Election Commission suspended a poll official in Sambhalpur after he had ordered checking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter. The suspension order came after the EC sent an inquiry team to Odisha. The poll officer, Mohammed Mohsin who was deputed as a special observer, according to the EC, has not acted in conformity with the Election Commission’s instructions which makes an exception for SPF protectees.
PM Modi’s helicopter was checked after he arrived for an election meeting in Odisha for the BJP cadre in the state. ”The Election Commission has considered the material available before it and prima facie finds it as dereliction of duty,” the EC’s order read.
However, the EC has given orders to poll officials to conduct surprise checks on vehicles of prominent leaders with ”flying squads” looking in cash stash or any other material to woo voters. The suspension of poll official has now raised several concerns on how or why the PM could be spared when the EC itself directed poll officials to hold surprise checks on leader’s vehicles.
Social media is rife with discussion praising the poll official for doing his duty honestly without bowing to the protocol pressure while BJP cadres feels that PM should be spared from such surprise checks.
