Cabinet Secy flags ‘interference’ in 2 EC letters
On August 5, Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan informed Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi about communications regarding Deputy EC Maneesh Garg's conduct. The Cabinet Secretariat revealed internal notings and letters obtained through an RTI application filed by retired Commodore Lokesh Batra. The ECs' communications pertained to Garg's order regarding work allocation among officers, which was issued without consulting the ECI or the affected officers.
Sandhu and Joshi stated that this occurred despite repeated oral and written instructions from the ECI against such actions without prior discussion and approval. The Cabinet Secretariat clarified that while Garg was appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, he is now an ECI officer, and his actions are subject to the commission's rules and guidelines.
The Cabinet Secretariat stated that acting on these letters would be inappropriate, as they were not official communication from the entire commission and any action could be seen as interference in the functioning of the constitutional body.
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