The transfers of police dogs and their handlers by the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh came in for criticism from the opposition which called it a "transfer racket".
In an order issued Friday by the commandant of the 23 Battalion of Madhya Pradesh police, 46 dogs and their handlers were transferred, including a sniffer named Duffy from Chhindwara, MP chief minister Kamal Nath's home district, to the CM's residence here.
Two other sniffer dogs, Renu and Sikandar, were also transferred to the CM House from Satna and Hoshangabad.
MLA and state BJP vice president Rameshwar Sharma tweeted, "If it will be in their control, the Congress can even transfer the land and the sky."
He later told PTI the "Congress can do miracles. It transferred dogs. The Kamal Nath government transferred about 50,000 officials and employees in six months. Some of the officials were transferred 3-4 times in this period. A transfer racket is flourishing and posts in government offices are being sold."
In a tweet along with copies of the canine transfer orders, BJP state vice president Vijesh Lunawat said, "Wah, transfer industry of Kamal Nath government did not spare even dogs. The transfers of dog squad in Madhya Pradesh."
Several other BJP leaders also took potshots at the Congress regime on social media.
In reply, state Congress media cell vice president Abhay Dubey termed the BJP's ridicule as frustration after being unseated in the Assembly polls.
"Police dogs and their handlers live with each other for the entirety of the canine's life. The handlers accompany the dogs wherever it is deployed for probe. The dog is in tune with its handler. So, they were transferred together," Dubey said.
"BJP should leave its frustration and stop doing politics on baseless issues," Dubey added.
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