New Delhi
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]T[/dropcap]he year started with bitter acrimony between Arvind Kejriwal’s Delhi Government and Prime Minister – led BJP dispensation at the centre. It’s ending on the same note as India bids good bye to 2015.
In a year where the political discourse touched new lows as leaders hurled choice invective at each other without paying heed to even basic respect for Democratic traditions, the latest round of face off threatens to paralyze the functioning of the Delhi government. The entire top bureaucracy of the Deli government has proceeded on mass leave, protesting against suspension of two IAS officers on Wednesday.
Kejriwal has accused the Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung of instigating the officer and directly charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of plotting the unrest to sabotage the odd-even number traffic plan which gets underway from January 1.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]N[/dropcap]early 200 DANICS-cadre officers (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) went on a day-long mass-leave and over 70 IAS officials struck work from 9 AM to 2 PM, protesting AAP government’s action against Yashpal Garg and Subhash Chandra, both Special Secretaries.
The Delhi government placed the two officers under suspension when, in an unprecedented defiance, they refused to sign an order endorsed by the State Cabinet to increase salary of public prosecutors and prison staff.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warned that all options were being explored against the striking officers, saying, “DANICS and IAS associations in Delhi have become full fledged B teams of BJP,” Kejriwal said, while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “firing” at the AAP government through the Lt Governor and the officers.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]I[/dropcap]n a series of tweets, Kejriwal also said it was time to replace bureaucrats with professionals and sector experts to infuse fresh energy and ideas in governance. “People will be very happy if these officers go on long leave. Govt is ready to give paid leave. Governance will become honest, smooth and efficient,” he tweeted..
The face off intensified after the Union Home Ministry declared the suspension of the officials as null and void. “The Home Ministry has received a reference from the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on the suspension of two DANICS officers.
It declares the suspension order is ‘non est’ (mistake or does not exist) and the two officers should be considered deemed to be on duty,” a Home Ministry spokesperson said earlier.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]I[/dropcap]t prompted Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to question the timing of the protest by the bureaucrats. Sisodia called it a part of a conspiracy to sabotage the odd-even scheme.
“Why they have decided to go on mass leave just a day before start of the odd-even scheme? It is part of conspiracy so that we fail to implement the scheme… The PMO and the Lt Governor’s office were in direct contact with DANICS officers when they were holding a meeting yesterday,” alleged Sisodia.
In a direct attack on Modi, Kejriwal tweeted, “नरेंद्र मोदी जी इन officers और LG के कंधे पर रख कर बंदूक़ चला रहे.”
Claiming that service rules bar DANICS and IAS officers from going to strike, Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain said the government was ready to grant all officers even one month or 15-day leave if they apply for the same.
“The two officers were suspended for not implementing Cabinet decision on December 28. If they had any problem with my order, they should have approached Chief Minister not LG. Lt Governor has already asked officers to defy government decision,” he said.
- Elon Musk postpones India visit. Non-clarity in Tesla partner and Starlink license might be the reasons - April 20, 2024
- NIA confiscates Pak-harboured Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode’s key aide’s land in Moga - April 19, 2024
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi: A Gujju businessman who does not invest his precious time for a losing battle - April 13, 2024
