The Election Commission has decided to remove cricketer Rinku Singh as an icon for the voter awareness campaign. This decision was made after his engagement to Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Machhlishahr, Priya Saroj.
Sports News: Indian cricketer Rinku Singh, known for his explosive batting and brilliant performance on the field, will no longer be the state-level icon of the Election Commission's Voter Awareness Campaign (SVEEP). Along with this, the process of appointing him as Basic Education Officer (BSA) has also been put on hold. Two main reasons have come to the fore behind this decision – lack of political neutrality and non-fulfillment of educational qualifications.
Political Affiliation Becomes an Obstacle
As per the instructions issued by the Election Commission, it is mandatory for any brand icon selected for the SVEEP campaign to be completely politically neutral. Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa informed that Rinku Singh was appointed as a state-level icon in 2023. This was a promotional role, in which consent is taken from the person without any payment.
However, recently Rinku Singh got engaged to Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Priya Saroj, after which his association with a political family became public. Due to this, according to the rules of the commission, he is no longer politically neutral. As a result, the commission has removed him from the post of SVEEP icon.
Halt on BSA Appointment as Well
The Election Commission has issued instructions to all districts to immediately remove Rinku Singh's photos and messages from voter awareness-related posters, videos, websites, and social media. The commission clarified that this is a regular process and maintaining political neutrality is a prerequisite. The process of appointing Rinku Singh as Basic Education Officer (BSA), who is preparing for a journey from the cricket field to the administrative service, has also been put on hold.
The Basic Education Department had announced about a month ago to give government jobs to players who have represented the country at the international and national levels. Under this, Rinku Singh's name was proposed for the post of BSA and educational certificates were sought from him.
The minimum educational qualification for the post of BSA is ‘Post Graduate’. But Rinku Singh is only 8th pass, due to which he is not eligible for this post. After receiving his documents, the file was sent to the Chief Minister for final approval, but the education department stopped the appointment process due to non-fulfillment of qualifications. It was also stated that reconsideration will be possible only if any special rules or amendments are made in the future.
