Calling the EC's order of shifting IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, probing the 2015 sacrilege incidents, as "biased", the Punjab government Tuesday decided to approach the poll panel to seek a review of the decision.

He further said that he will ask the commission to reconsider its decision in the "interest of justice and Constitutional propriety".

Following a complaint lodged by the Akali Dal against the IPS officer, the ECI had directed Punjab government to divest him of his present post for "violating" the model code of conduct.

Besides being member of the Special Investigation Team, probing 2015 sacrilege and police firing incidents, Singh was also holding the charge of IGP Crime and additional charge of the organised crime control unit (OCCU).

Acting on the directions of the EC, the Punjab government on Monday posted him as IG Counter Intelligence (Amritsar).

Though the EC order did not specifically mention about divesting him of as SIT member, a senior government functionary in Punjab government Tuesday said the officer was relieved of this charge as well.

"The Akalis had been trying unsuccessfully to scuttle the investigations into the sacrilege and subsequent firing cases that took place during their tenure and were now resorting to desperate measures to save their skin," Amarinder Singh alleged in a statement released here.

Claiming that the entire premise of the EC order was based on a "flimsy" complaint, the chief minister said, "It was obvious the complainant (SAD) was running scared at the thought of exposure by the SIT and had taken refuge in the SAD alliance with the BJP."

The EC was acting in a "highly biased" manner at the behest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was indulging in all kinds of "cheap tactics", including "witch-hunts and interference" in state affairs, in a desperate bid to save itself and its allies, Amarinder Singh alleged.

"Cognizant of the pathetic position of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab, where the party was facing another ignominious defeat, the BJP was trying to save it at any cost," he alleged.

"The brazen nexus between the BJP-SAD and ECI was manifest in the latter's spate of recent orders and directives that were clearly skewed against the Congress, particularly in the states ruled by it," the chief minister said.

He also lamented the "demolition" of all the major Constitutional and democratic institutions in the country by the ruling party at the Centre.

Amarinder said his government's sole intention in setting up the SIT, of which the IG was a key member and instrumental in the SIT's aggressive investigations, was to bring the culprits to book and take the probe in the 2015 case to its logical conclusion.

The SIT, he pointed out, had been carrying out its investigations as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, on a civil writ petition and their report was placed before the High Court, he pointed out.

Further, said the chief minister, the investigations undertaken by the SIT were of the nature of a statutory requirement under the CrPC, in which even courts do not interfere.

The EC was simply not authorised to interfere in such a matter, Amarinder Singh claimed.

"The Akalis wanted to prevent him and his government, by hook or by crook, from bringing justice to the innocent victims of the 101 cases of sacrilege that had occurred in the state between 2015 and March 2017," alleged Amarinder Singh.

Warning the BJP and the Akalis against exploiting important institutions like the EC and the defence forces to pursue its political and electoral agenda, Amarinder Singh said the "destruction" of these independent institutions would be highly detrimental to the interests of the country and people would not forgive the ruling party for indulging in such acts.

Amarinder Singh also urged the EC not to allow its integrity to be "compromised" by the politically vested interests of the ruling BJP and its allies, including the SAD.

"People have faith in the EC institution but such actions are bound to destroy their trust," he said.

The ECI had observed in its order that the TV interview of the IPS officer was "politically motivated" and the contents of the part of the interview had political connotations and had the potential to show certain political leaders in poor light.

The officer had also mentioned the name of leaders of SAD which was clearly in violation of the provision of the provision of model code of conduct, the ECI had said in the order.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had last month filed a complaint against the IPS officer, alleging that he was working at the behest of the Congress to target the Akalis.

The party had sought that he should be shifted out of state till elections were over.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)