The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to lift the suspension imposed on Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar. The suspension was initially enforced following allegations that Kumar violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by meeting Congress leader Revanth Reddy, who is now the Chief Minister, during the state assembly election counting earlier this month.
Anjani Kumar's visit to Reddy's residence, coupled with the exchange of pleasantries captured in photos, sparked controversy on social media and raised questions about potential MCC violations. State police officers Sanjay Kumar Jain and Mahesh M Bhagwat accompanied the DGP during the meeting.
The singular focus of the DGP's meeting on one specific candidate out of 2,290, who happened to be a star campaigner from a particular party among 16, triggered suspicions of favoritism. Concerns about the neutrality and adherence to the MCC, which mandates impartiality from officials during elections, arose due to these circumstances.
The Election Commission emphasized that such actions by the DGP could have a detrimental impact on junior officers and deemed the meeting a clear breach of the code. The decision to lift the suspension comes after a thorough evaluation of the situation and its potential implications on electoral conduct.
