Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla has taken strong exception to the withdrawal of cases against Karnataka ministers and mining magnates Reddy brothers.
Speaking to mediapersons in Bengaluru on Friday, he made it clear that the withdrawal of cases against the Reddy brothers was in violation of the election commission's orders.
The CEC was referring to the withdrawal of a case by the state government in 2009 in which it dropped cases pertaining to election code of conduct by the Reddy brothers.
He said that the state does not have suo motu powers to drop cases relating to election code of conduct, and the same should have been referred to the commission.
The comments came in the wake of Governor H R Bharadwaj seeking an explanation from the Reddy brothers, regarding them as 'holding an office of profit.'
Chawla said that this rule not only applies to Karnataka but to all states and UTs.
"We have already several months ago issued instructions to all our chief election officers in all states, that no case that is election related can be withdrawn without our concurrence and it must meet judicial finality," Chawla added.
