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Commissioner’s term can’t be disturbed: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Virtually hinting that the Chief Election Commissioner’s recommendations for the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla may not be accepted, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday said the Constitution provided a term for such constitutional posts and it could not be disturbed.

Constitutional post

“I thought all Election Commissioners hold constitutional posts to which the Constitution prescribes the term. Neither I nor you can disturb that,” Mr. Chidambaram said here.

As the chief spokesperson of the government, Mr. Chidambaram was asked at a press conference to spell out the rules as per the law to handle the issue.

Peals of laughter

“There is no rule which requires the spokesperson of the government to be trained in law,” he said, sending the hall into peals of laughter.

The Home Minister said he had read the report in a newspaper only.

Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami had recommended the dismissal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla on the alleged ground that he was biased towards the Congress. — PTI

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