EC shifts City Police Commssr in wake of remarks on CM

Chennai, Mar 15 (UNI) Chennai City Police Commissioner R Nataraj was today removed from his post, following a directive from the Election Commission.

Official sources said the decision to remove Mr Nataraj as Police Commissioner of Greater Chennai City was taken by the ECI in the wake of a complaint filed against him by DMK MP and Union Minister A Raja.

The EC sent its order to the Tamil Nadu government today. The State government was expected to issue a formal order shifting Mr Nataraj tomorrow.

The State Government would be sending a panel of five names to the EC to selection of Mr Nataraj's successor, the sources said.

In his complaint, Mr Raja alleged that the Commissioner, in an interview on the occasion of International Women's Day, had showered praise on AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, saying she excelled in both her personal and public life.

He had also said that every woman should emulate Ms Jayalalithaa to come up in life.

The DMK alleged that these remarks, made at a time when the model code of conduct for the May 8 Assembly polls was in force, portrayed the Commissioner as a 'politician' and not as a 'Police officer', who should remain neutral.

The shifting of Mr Nataraj comes a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta warned bureaucrafts, IPS officers and government servants to remain neutral.

UNI GV-WS AA VD KN1954