On January 15th, based on a PTI report of NSA Ajit Doval attending a meeting related to elections in Megahalaya , Tripura and Nagaland, CPI(M) Tripura state secretary Bijan Dhar had written to the Election commission
In his he letter wrote:
Central BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP in-charge of North East Ram Madhav and senior RSS leader Krishna Gopal had met at the residence of Rajnath Singh and, according to the reports, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also present in that meeting.”
The report says the meeting was convened purely on political purpose, that is, to evolve electoral strategy of the BJP in the forthcoming assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
Presence of any person holding very important position like that of National Security Advisor is not only undesirable and objectionable, it is a glaring instance of blatant misuse of administration by the ruling party at the Centre for garnering political mileage in the elections
However the Home Ministry has categorically denied any political intention behind the meeting between the home minister and NSA Doval. It has clarified that NSA has regular morning meetings with the Home Minister as per protocol to take stock of national security issues.
MHA rejects reports of NSA Ajit Doval attending an election meeting on Tripura,Nagaland and Meghalaya at @HMOIndia residence on January 14, CPI(M) had written to EC complaining about the same @the_hindupic.twitter.com/Rm9CtMkF2A
— vijaita singh (@vijaita) January 17, 2018
This is not the first time that PTI reports have been rebutted by arms of the Government. PTI was forced to apologize in July last year, when I & B minister Smriti Irani had rebuked it. In October the then Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia had claimed he had been misquoted by PTI. Soon the Central Board of Excise & Customs also claimed that PTI has misquoted its chairperson.
