Sonia tells PM to ensure fair treatment for SDM

Rajnath Singh: PM should act without waiting for the letter

Written by: Express News Service

3 min readNew DelhiAug 4, 2013 02:19 AM IST First published on: Aug 4, 2013 at 02:19 AM IST

Coming out in support of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal,suspended sub-divisional magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar district,Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure that she is not unfairly treated.

In a letter to the PM,Sonia wrote,It is reported that Durga Shakti Nagpal… has been hastily suspended for unsubstantiated reasons. There is widespread concern because the officer,in the course of her public duties,was seen to be standing up to vested interests engaged in illegal activity. We must ensure that the officer is not unfairly treated.

Raising a larger question,Sonia said the case has highlighted the need to assess whether there are adequate safeguards in place to protect executive functionaries working beyond the average call of duty to uphold the rule of law. She said the implementation machinery must feel that the conditions are conducive to the delivery of public services without fear or favour.

The Uttar Pradesh government had claimed Nagpal,a 2010-batch IAS officer,was suspended for ordering the demolition of a wall of a mosque. Congress spokesperson Bhatka Charan Das said while the party does not support the arbitrary must ensure IAS officer is not unfairly treated: Sonia to PM demolition of a mosque wall,it feels that Nagpal was suspended because of her actions against the sand mafia.

Reacting to Sonias letter,BJP president Rajnath Singh said the PM should act without waiting for the letter. People with vested interests got the officer suspended. The action has hurt the morale of honest officials. Those who got her suspended should not be spared, he said.

Objecting to the letter,SP Rajya Sabha member Naresh Aggarwal said,Sonia should write two more letters,one about Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka who was suspended and another to the Rajasthan Chief Minister for suspending two IAS officers. In both cases,Robert Vadras named had cropped up. These cases were related to land deals.

In Lucknow,RLD leaders met Uttar Pradesh Governor B L Joshi and demanded immediate revocation of the suspension order.

The Left Front said the issue must be taken up in the monsoon session. This victimisation of an IAS officer should find a place in parliament. The UP government should respond on this. If action is not taken,then a wrong message will go to the honest officers, said CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta.

Meanwhile,government sources pointed out that the Centre can intervene in the case only after the state chief secretary sends a report on the suspension,or if the suspended officer files a written appeal to the Department of Personnel and Training DoPT. Nagpal has already met the UP chief secretary and clarified her position. The IAS association has complained to the Centre and the state chief secretary.