Navin Chawla can be removed on CEC recommendation : BJP

New Delhi, Jun 30 (UNI) Turning the heat on Election Commissioner Navin Chawla charged with accepting donation from the Congress MPs for his family run trust, BJP today asserted that Constitution was very clear that only Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) alone could recommend a removal of an Election Commissioner (EC) and not Union Cabinet, as contended by the ''tainted'' incumbent.

Leading advocate and former Union Law Minister in the NDA regime Ravi Shankar Prasad today said he could not accept the argument forwarded by Mr Chawla in his affidavit filed before the Supreme Court that the Union Cabinet had the powers to remove him from his post and not the CEC. ''Article 324 (5) of the Constitution was amply clear that an Election Commissioner or a Regional Election Commissioner could be removed only on the recommendations of a CEC.

"there is no need for BJP to learn anything from Mr Chawla. The Constitution is clear on the point,'' he said.

Mr Prasad said Mr Chawla had 'confessed' in his affidavit about his close connections with the family trust and receiving money from the MPs belonging to Congress Party. The EC post is a key post and people looked upon the Election Commission with lots of hopes and aspirations expecting it to play a role in holding free and fair election in the country, he said.

He declined to comment on the elevation of Mr Gopalaswamy as the CEC to succeed Mr B B Tandon or about the appointment of Mr Qureshi as the Election Commissioner. "These are normal appointments to fill the vacancies and we have no comments", he remarked. UNI MCN VD ND1804