Omar Abdullah
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: The National Conference on Friday called on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to thoroughly investigate the massive transfers in the police and civil administration, and demanded immediate suspension of the implementation of such orders.
National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah said the party suspects a "biased intent" on the part of Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
"That the J&K administration had to call officers in the secretariat & police HQ to work on the Independence Day to order this massive reshuffle tells me they had absolutely NO CLUE that the ECI would be announcing poll dates today,” Abdullah said in a post on X.
"All the more reason that the @ECISVEEP should look at this transfer order from the prism of a free & fair poll. @JKNC_ suspects a biased intent on the part of the @OfficeOfLGJandK," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said the move seems "clearly intended to undermine" the integrity of the electoral process, which restricts such transfers to prevent the ruling party from gaining an undue administrative advantage over the opposition.
"Why has a massive reshuffle been ordered in the police and administration since last evening, and today morning, seemingly to pre-empt the Election Commission's announcement? It appears to have been orchestrated by a BJP-appointed LG to benefit his party and its allies," Sagar said in a statement.
"The LG government has strategically shaken up the entire administrative set up compromising the principles of free and fair elections," he added.
The National Conference called on the ECI to "thoroughly investigate this blatant attempt" and to immediately suspend the implementation of these orders.
Jammu and Kashmir police saw a massive shake-up on Friday as several senior officers were transferred, with its intelligence wing getting a new chief.
In three separate orders, the government transferred 33 senior police officers with immediate effect.
The administration also ordered a massive reshuffle in the civil administration, including those of the deputy commissioners.
The massive transfers come a couple of weeks after the Election Commission directed the poll-bound states to transfer out officers posted in their home districts, and also in the likelihood of the poll announcement by the poll body later on Friday.
The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the assembly elections on Friday afternoon. However, it is still not clear for which states the election schedule will be announced.
The Election Commission plans to hold the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir before September 30, the deadline set by the Supreme Court.