Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Monday has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI), requesting that DGP Rashmi Shukla not be appointed to any other position following her recent transfer ordered by the ECI in response to complaints from the Indian National Congress (INC) and other parties.
In his letter, Patole expressed gratitude for the ECI’s swift action to remove Shukla from her role. He said, “I hereby express my sincere appreciation to the Election Commission of India for promptly considering and acting upon the request to remove DGP Rashmi Shukla from her position. This decision demonstrates your commitment to upholding transparency and fairness in the electoral process.” He also underscored that Shukla’s service extension was specifically granted for her position as Director General of Police and should not apply to any other role.
Patole wrote, “Given that the service extension was specifically granted for the role of Director General of Police (DGP) and was not applicable to any other role, it logically follows that upon vacating the DGP position, the officer’s service automatically terminates.” He added, “I respectfully request the Election Commission to ensure that DGP Rashmi Shukla is not appointed to any other position, thereby adhering to the legal framework and reinforcing public trust in the institution.”
This is not the first letter Patole has sent regarding this matter; he previously wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Diwali. In that letter, he accused DGP Shukla of displaying a “clear bias” against opposition parties, including Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP(SP). He pointed out that political violence against opposition leaders in Maharashtra had escalated, with numerous incidents reported over the past 20 days.
In his earlier letter dated October 31, Patole referred to previous requests made on September 24 and October 4 regarding Shukla’s removal. He claimed that while the DGP of Jharkhand was removed immediately after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was enforced, DGP Shukla had been exempted. Patole accused her of directing police officials to file “false cases” against opposition leaders and urged for her immediate dismissal to ensure free and fair elections in the state.
Patole in that letter had concluded by stating that if Shukla’s termination did not take place, they would be compelled to pursue further measures, including court action.