NEW DELHI: Home minister
Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said he was deeply pained at the alleged physical
assault
of Delhi
chief secretary
Anshu Prakash at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence and assured that
justice
would be done in the case. The show of support came even as Delhi stared at an unprecedented crisis with its bureaucracy deciding to boycott all meetings called by the political executive, while continuing to work in their offices, until Kejriwal apologised and action was taken against the AAP MLAs involved in the purported assault.
Delhi bureaucrats — represented by their IAS, DANICS and DASS associations — met Singh to lodge a strong protest against Prakash’s “pre-meditated assault” by AAP legislators in the presence of Kejriwal. Soon after the meeting, Singh, in a series of tweets, underlined that civil servants should be allowed to work with dignity and without fear.
“The MHA has sought a report on the incident from the lieutenant governor of Delhi. Justice will be done,” Singh tweeted. He further said a delegation of IAS, DANICS and Subordinate Services of Delhi government had apprised him of the situation. While an FIR was filed by Delhi Police on Tuesday evening, the home ministry is expected to decide on any further course of action after receiving LG
Anil Baijal’s report detailing the events leading up to the alleged midnight assault. The LG’s report is expected to present the version of events by both Prakash and AAP legislators present at the spot and evidence, if any, in support of their claims.
Source said facts gathered informally by the home ministry pointed to roughing up of the chief secretary by AAP MLAs while both Kejriwal and deputy CM
Manish Sisodia
remained mute spectators. “This indicates the approval of chief minister and deputy CM. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the Kejriwal government has intimidated the bureaucracy in Delhi. Obviously, the officers are agitated and such confrontation between the political dispensation and officialdom is bound to adversely affect governance in Delhi,” said a home ministry officer.
The associations of IAS and DANICS officers described the incident as “a functional crisis amounting to breakdown of governance”. This was evident when Delhi bureaucracy, in an extremely rare decision, called for a boycott of meetings convened by Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues until an apology was tendered and action taken against the MLAs involved in the alleged assault.
The Central IAS Officers Association too expressed solidarity with the Delhi officers and issued a statement saying the investigation and trial in the case should be completed expeditiously and the guilty punished to “send a message to one and all that this is just not acceptable”. “IAS officers across the country work under difficult situations and they are required to take decisions that are correct as per law and may not meet the expectations or illegitimate demands of political masters,” the association said.
The Delhi IAS, DANICS and DASS associations, in a press release issued after their meeting with Singh, said the “appalling and shocking physical assault” meted out to the head of the administration of Delhi in the form of blows on the head was deplorable.
Alleging that the midnight meeting was devoid of any public interest, the associations said the CS was called alone to pressure him to release publicity material achievements of the government, in violation of SC guidelines.
AAP said the meeting was called to discuss “rations”.