Naveen Chawla: SC issues notices to Centre and EC

New Delhi, Sep 18 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre, Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla on a petition seeking removal of Chawla for allegedly dubious antecedents.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justices A R Lakshmanan and C K Thakker also ordered to tag the petition of Chandra Bushan Singh an MP along with the petition filed by former External Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh and 204 NDA MPs also seeking removal of Naveen Chawla.

Chandra Bushan Singh, a Samajwadi Party member of the Lok Sabha in his petition has alleged that Naveen Chawla had affliation with a political party and some Congress MPs including Union Minister Ambika Soni who have contributed from MP Local Area Development Scheme to the trust run by the family members of Chawla including his wife Rupika Chawla.

According to the petitioners Chawla was also indicted by Shah Commission appointed by Janata Party Government to inquire into the excesses committed during the Emergency.

The petitioners are also seeking directions to refer the complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner for his opinion.

The President had however referred the complaint to the Government and Law Ministry to seek the opinion of the Attorney General Milon K Banerji who opined that no action was needed to be taken as the allegations made in the complaint were related prior to his joining as Election Commissioner.

UNI AKS/SC SP RP BD1619