We feel vindicated, says BJP over CEC's action on Chawla

Hyderabad, Jan 31 (PTI) Welcoming India's Chief
Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami's recommendation for the
removal of his colleague Navin Chawla, the main opposition BJP
Saturday said the move would strengthen the autonomy and
impartial nature of the poll panel.

"More than 200 MPs petitioned the President seeking
the removal of Chawla as Election Commissioner. The Congress-
led government did not act on that. We hope the President
would at least act now," senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here.

"We are happy that our stand has been vindicated," he
said.

Naidu also accused the United Progressive Alliance
(UPA) Government of undermining the independent nature of
various Constitutional bodies like Supreme Court, Comptroller
and Auditor General (CAG) and Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI).

The recommendation comes nearly three months before
Gopalaswami is to demit office on April 20 and is based on a
petition by the BJP which had complained against the
"partisan" functioning of Chawla.

The BJP