Owaisi attacks Yogi over reports of removal of Yadav, Muslim officials in poll-bound districts

Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday censured Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over reports that "Yadav and Muslim" officials were being "removed" from duty in the districts where 10 assembly seats are going to by-elections in that State and appealed to the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections. Addressing reporters here, the Hyderabad MP said, "This (reported) statement of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister shows that he does not want free and fair by-polls in Uttar Pradesh."

As per the Article 324 of the Constitution, conducting elections is the responsibility of the Election Commission, he noted and sought to know whether the EC will accept the "diktat" of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and "won't deploy Yadav and Muslim officials".

The Uttar Pradesh CM wants to show that he is the Election Commission of India, Owaisi alleged. No Chief Minister or Prime Minister can decide about whether a particular officer will be posted or not (during the elections). It is the Election Commission which will decide, the AIMIM chief pointed out.

"Now it is our appeal to the Election Commission that when the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has said that he does not want to keep the officials of the two (from Muslim and Yadav) communities, it is a big responsibility on the poll panel to prove the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister wrong and ensure that the by-polls to ten seats are conducted in free and fair manner," Owaisi said.

By-elections in Uttar Pradesh are to be held for 10 assembly constituencies later this year. He said a government officer represents the government and the officer does not represent any religion or caste and is a government employee.

Owaisi further alleged that it is the communal behaviour of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister that he sees the government employees through the communal lens and added "this has always been his (UP CM) behaviour and it shows how much he hates these communities.