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Andhra: EC appoints Mohanty as new DGP

March 22, 2009 23:09 IST
The Election Commission has appointed senior Indian Police Service officer A K Mohanty as the new Director General of Andhra Pradesh Police in place of SSP Yadav, who was removed last week for the violation of model code of conduct by the commission.

A K Mohanty, is seen as a controversial officer and a Muslim political party Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen had represented to the Chief Electoral Officer IV Subba Rao against Mohanty's appointment.

"Muslims in Andhra Pradesh will not be able to vote freely if Mr Mohanty is appointed as the Director General of Police", said Asaduddin Owaisi, Member of Parliament from Hyderabad and president of MIM.

He complained that Muslims of Hyderabad had to face a lot of harassment and victimisation when Mohanty was the city police commissioner in 2005.

However the Telugu Desam and the Communist Party of India had supported Mohanty saying that he was an honest and upright officer who was not anti Muslim.

Mohanty was transferred from the post of Hyderabad police commission on the protest of MIM against the alleged victimisation and harassment of Musim youth in the name of terrorism.

The Election Commission finalized the name of A K Mohanty from the panel of three senior most officers forwarded by the state government. The Election Commission on Sunday issued the orders appointing Mohanty as the DGP on Sunday evening. 

Till now Mohanty was the Chairman, Road Safety Authority. Earlier he also served as the Additional DG, law and order and headed the anti terrorist organisation OCTOPUS for a brief while.

He was removed from the position in view of his differences with the DGP on the issue of his powers and status.

Yadav's transfer was ordered by the Election Commission after the opposition parties complained that he was acting in a partial manner and had violated the model code of conduct by praising the Andhra Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy publicly after elections were opposed.

Mohammed Siddique in Hyderabad