MP govt transfers police dogs and handlers, BJP takes a dig!

In a move that has invoked sharp criticism from BJP leaders, Congress-led Madhya Pradesh government has issued an order transferring 46 police dog handlers across the state along with their canines.

According to the order, handlers of tracker, sniffer and narco dogs from 23 Battalion Dog Squad have been given new postings in different districts of the state and have been ordered to rejoin immediately along with their dogs.

In the latest postings, three sniffers, one each from Chhindwara, Satna and Betul have been shifted to Chief Minister's house in Bhopal.

The latest step of transferring the dog-squad has drawn scathing criticism from rival BJP which is using the opportunity to attack the government.

BJP's state vice president Vijesh Lunawat took a dig on the move and tweeted, "The Great Kamal Nath Government did not spare even dogs from the transfer business. Dog squad transferred in Madhya Pradesh."

BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma invoked the issue of transfer of canines to allege that the Congress government would even sell land and sky if they can.

"Congress government should have at least left the dogs. The police department has transferred dogs en masse. If it was possible for Kamal Nath government and someone was ready to pay the price, they would even transfer land and sky," Sharma said in a tweet made in Hindi.

On Friday, BJP cornered the Madhya Pradesh government for erroneously issuing transfer order of a 'Sarpanch' instead of Panchayat Secretary.

Referring to a July 5 order of Rewa District Panchayat, Devtalab MLA Girish Gautam said that instead of transferring Rewa district panchayat Shivpura's in-charge Vibha Dwivedi, Sarpanch Bihari Lal Patel was transferred.

"The minister has become so busy that he has transferred a Sarpanch instead of Panchayat Secretary," he said.

It may be noted that a Sarpanch is elected by people and is not entitled to be transferred by the state government.

BJP has in the past alleged that a "transfer racket" was flourishing in the government under Chief Minister Kamal Nath.

"A transfer racket is flourishing in the Congress government under Kamal Nath and officials are at the centre of it. They are engaged in seat sale. Officials bid for seats. Congress is not running a government but a 'hawala udyog'," the BJP MLA from Narela Vishwas Sarang had alleged in June this year.