Even as a section of the Uttar Pradesh bureaucracy is up in arms against the suspension of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) of Gautam Buddha Nagar Durga Shakti Nagpal, an unfazed Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said the action would not be revoked.
Mr. Yadav said the officer was suspended for having arbitrarily decided to demolish a wall of an under-construction mosque at Qadalpur village, even as he sent a strong signal to the IAS lobby that the government would not be browbeaten.
The Chief Minister, who was talking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, sidestepped a query on the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate having reportedly sent his report to the government. He, however, said: “There is also the report of the Local Intelligence Unit.” Mr. Yadav denied the hand of the sand mafia in the suspension of Ms. Nagpal. (There is no official confirmation that the DM’s report has been sent to the government).
The Chief Minister condemned “concerted efforts to whip up a controversy,” and said the campaign formed part of a conspiracy by some people and political parties which wanted to create communal trouble. In fact, Mr. Yadav appeared unhappy with the conduct of officials on this issue as he drew a parallel to the state of affairs under the Mayawati regime. “IAS Association ko hamne badhaya hae [the SP government has unshackled babus],” he said, indicating that in the previous regime they did not have the courage to speak against the government’s (Chief Minister’s) decision.
On Wednesday, Mr. Yadav’s father and Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh was also said to have expressed his annoyance over the protest by officials against the suspension of Ms. Nagpal. Party sources said that at a closed-door State SP executive meeting, Mr. Singh told delegates: “Had action not been taken after the demolition of the mosque wall, there would have been communal riots in Noida, Ghaziabad and western Uttar Pradesh. Action was taken on administrative grounds.”
IAS officers meet Narayanasamy
The protest by officials started on Monday when a delegation of the U.P. IAS Association met acting Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan and said the suspension of Ms. Nagpal was against rules as she was not given an opportunity to present her version.
On Thursday, a delegation of the Central IAS Association led by its secretary, Sanjay Bhoosreddy (a U.P. cadre officer) met Union Minister of State for Personnel V. Narayanasamy in New Delhi.
