Two IAS heads roll in UP over a tea party

Khan agreed to be the chief guest at a seminar organised by the Dalit Panthers on July 1 at Bhikepur village in Ajitmal. But this did not go down well with the local BSP MLA Madan Singh Guatam who wanted Khan to be present at a tea party he was hosting. The Commissioner expressed his inability, saying he had already promised the seminar organisers that he would show up.

Unable to take a no, especially before his supporters, the annoyed MLA faxed a letter to officials in Lucknow and called them on phone, claiming speakers at the seminar had spoken out against the CM and her style of functioning but the Commissioner and DM hadn’t bothered to object.

The Commissioner was suspended even before he could return to Kanpur, a 90-minute drive from the seminar venue. The DM was also shifted with immediate effect. The police, in the meantime, cracked down on activists of the Dalit Panthers, arresting its chief Dhaniram and 15 others.

Later, nearly 100 activists were detained when they staged a demonstration outside the police station to protest the arrest of their chief. ‘‘No foul language was used against the CM at the seminar. Why would anyone do that at a seminar on Ambedkar? Her name did come up in some context but nothing unusual was said,’’ maintained Dalit Panthers activist Krishna Pal Gautam.

The BSP MLA, who started it all by complaining to officials in Lucknow, couldn’t be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.