BHOPAL: Three sitting MLAs from Gwalior-Chambal region, among them a former minister have refused to accept the new personal security officers (PSOs) assigned to them by the state police in assembly poll bound Madhya Pradesh.
The three sitting legislators in Bhind district, including ex-minister Govind Singh and first-time MLA Hemant Katare (both sitting Congress MLAs) and Narendra Kushwah, sitting BJP MLA who is contesting the coming poll as Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate, have refused to accept new PSOs in place of the gunners assigned to them in the past.
The trio has alleged that accepting new PSOs, who have worked in similar capacity for rival politicians could lead to their political spying and also endanger their security.
Among the trio, Govind Singh, the six-time legislator from Lahar seat of Bhind district has even written over the issue to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) OP Rawat, requesting not deploying in his security those PSOs, who have been tasked with the security of his political rivals in the past.
In the letter sent to the CEC on Monday, Singh has mentioned that PSO who was deployed in his security for long have been replaced with those PSO who has been deployed with his political rivals prior to it. “With this development happening during the elections, I can’t trust new PSO, as it could compromise my safety as well as result in my spying,” Singh has stated in the letter.
Singh, the former MP minister has further referred to the 2009 killing of a party colleague (Makhanlal Jatav) during the Lok Sabha polls as well shots fired outside his (Singh’s) house before the 2013 assembly polls. Singh further mentioned that a new PSO who is ignorant of the geographical condition of his region will only make him feel insecure, owing to which he is returning the new PSO.
Another sitting MLA Narendra Kushwah, who is seeking re-election from Bhind seat as SP candidate after being denied ticket by the BJP, meanwhile, too has refused to accept a new PSO. “How can I accept a PSO, who has been with my rival candidate Chaudhary Rakesh (BJP) in the past. I can’t trust him (new PSO) as he could leak my vital political information during election period to my rival.”
Besides, Singh and Kushwah, the first-time Congress MLA from Ater seat of Bhind district, Hemant Katare (son of ex-Leader of Opposition Satyadeo Katare) too has refused new PSO citing similar concerns.
When queried by journalists over the issue on Monday, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO-MP) VL Kantha Rao said “decisions pertaining to rendering security to private persons or public representatives are taken in accordance with rules and guidelines set by a specialised committee formed for it.”
Sources at the state PHQ, meanwhile, told The New Indian Express that changing of PSOs is not being done in any particular region or any district by the state police on its own, but the action is being taken across the state on directions of the EC for ensuring randomization of personal security officers (PSOs) to ensure that no security officer can be used by anyone to influence the political process.