Govt employees retained by ex-home secy withdrawn

Former home secretary Raj Kumar Singh, at loggerhead with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, was stripped of the government staff retained by him post his retirement. Home Ministry sources claimed that nearly a a dozen government employees, mostly drawn from different paramilitary forces, who were retained by Singh have been asked to report to their respective organisations immediately.

While a retired bureaucrat is not allowed to retain personal staff, Singh allegedly had the personnel engaged in secretarial and domestic work. The former home secretary, who has joined the BJP recently, will continue to enjoy the security cover of the Delhi Police. The action from the Home Ministry came days after Singh claimed Shinde had interfered with the transfers and postings of the Delhi Police.

Singh had also accused Shinde of having given wrong information in the matter of the US helping India bring back underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. He also remarked that Shinde was not fit to be Home Minister. Shinde, who has preferred to remain silent on the controversy, merely termed Singh’s comments as political statements.

When asked about Singh’s comments, Shinde said, “Singh is now a political man. His allegations are political in nature. He is now with BJP. I do not see him as a former home secretary but as a BJP man. I will not react to his allegations.”