After an IPS, an IAS officer claims Modi was biased during Gujarat riots

SUSPENDED 1994 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer, Pradeep Sharma, has continued his crusade against BJP strongman and state chief minister Narendra Modi. Sharma has written to RK Raghavan, who heads the Supreme Court-appointed SIT probing the 2002 riots, with an allegation that chief minister had asked him during the riots to influence his brother and IPS officer Kuldeep Sharma to abstain from taking any proactive measures in favour of minorities, according to a section of media reports. Kuldeep Sharma was the IGP Ahmedabad then, and is now on deputation to the Police Research and Development Department in New Delhi after winning a case in the Central Administration Tribunal against the Modi government.

Only in February, Pradeep Sharma, arrested in cases of land allotment irregularities, alleged that chief minister Narendra Modi was trying to keep him behind bars since he knows about the CM’s personal life. Sharma made this allegation in a letter to the chief secretary AK Joti and wanted his case to be transferred to the CBI.

Sharma’s recent claim against Modi has come only days after IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt alleged Modi gave instructions to allow Hindus to vent their anger in post-Godhra train carnage. One of Bhatt’s seniors however refuted the claim that Bhatt attended a crucial meet where the CM reportedly instructed the police to be biased against Muslims. Bhatt’s driver however supported his boss’ claims saying Bhatt in fact attended the CM-convened meeting.