The Hindu : National : NDA team seeks Chawla's removal

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Friday, Mar 17, 2006

National

National

NDA team seeks Chawla's removal

Special Correspondent

Delegation petitions President; Election Commissioner's "impartial" role questioned

— Photo : Rajeev Bhatt

PETITIONING THE PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh at the Rashtrapati Bhavan after submitting a memorandum to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Thursday. The memorandum sought the removal of Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla for his alleged links with the Congress.

NEW DELHI : The National Democratic Alliance on Thursday presented President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with a memorandum signed by over 200 MPs for the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla. It questioned his "impartiality" in the light of his alleged links with the Congress.

Questioning the "impartial" role of the Election Commission in conducting free and fair polls, Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani, who led the NDA delegation, told mediapersons: "We expect that the President, after consultation with the Chief Election Commissioner, would take action in the matter before the elections in the five States." He said Mr. Kalam assured them that he would look into the issue.

The 13-page memorandum says: "We believe that the Election Commission must be absolutely impartial. It must also appear to be impartial. The degree of close proximity that Mr. Chawla has to one political party and its leadership does not indicate any form of impartiality. We appeal that he be removed as Election Commissioner."

NDA Convener George Fernandes, BJP chief Rajnath Singh; Sushma Swaraj, V.K. Malhotra, Venkaiah Naidu and Akali leaders Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Varinder Singh Bajwa accompanied him.

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