List of comments from retired and serving officers on Delhi's IAS-Neta impasse

Clipping Photo Courtesy: IAS Association Twitter

AGMUT cadre IAS officers on Sunday held an unprecedented press meet in New Delhi's Press Club of India to reiterate how they were not on any strike, and are, in fact, discharging their duties in Delhi administration. The officers, however, added that they skipped some meetings called by the ministers as they were concerned about their safety and dignity after the assault of the Delhi chief secretary at 12 midnight on February 19, 2018. After the press meet of the IAS officers, CM Arvind Kejriwal softened his stand saying that the “officers are part of my family”. But will this lead to any resolution anytime soon? BoI here picks out comments from a few officers -- both serving and retired -- on this IAS versus Neta impasse:

Kejriwal slams Delhi IAS for continuing strike; IAS AGMUT Association says there’s no strike, work is on with “written communications”

DELHI chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, deputy CM Manish Sisodia and two other cabinet ministers spent the Monday night at the waiting room of the Lt Governor’s residence, protesting against what they claimed the LG’s inaction to end the bureaucrats’ strike in Delhi. “In the history of independent India, this is the first time that IAS officers on strike for four months. Why?” — Kejriwal tweeted on Monday. IAS AGMUT Association strongly refuted the charges, saying that no officer…

Kejriwal says 90% IAS don’t work; ex-Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit refutes it, saying Delhi has efficient bureaucrats

AFTER Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s allegation that 90% of the IAS officers “do not work” and “obstruct files” related to development work, former chief minister Sheila Dikshit among others have slammed the CM saying that Delhi has “efficient” bureaucrats. Taking to Twitter, three-term Delhi CM says:

“Misinformation campaign” against officers or “Laatshahi mentality” of bureaucrats? 10 Things on Neta-Babu tussle in Delhi

THE adoption of a resolution by AGMUT cadre IAS officers’ and the DANICS officers’ associations on Tuesday to appeal to the political executive of Delhi government not to resort to unfounded allegations and misinformation campaign against officers, after a minister calling an IAS officer “incompetent, useless n insensitive”, has created an uneasy situation among bureaucrats and political class in the national capital of Delhi. How did the issue originate and where it’s leading to? BoI here presents 10 facts to sum up this new Neta-Babu tussle:

Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi CM, takes voluntary retirement from IRS; what next for her?

TV garb of Sunita and Arvind Kejriwal after Delhi victory, 2015

Sunita Kejriwal, 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service (I-T) officer and wife of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken voluntary retirement from the service. The Central Board of Direct Tax (CBDT) processed her application and okayed the VRS with effect from July 15. Mrs Kejriwal, 51, is now posted as Commissioner of I-T in the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Delhi, and will now be eligible for her pension benefits as she completed 20 years of service in the government. Will Sunita Kejriwal who had a tough time balancing her role as a wife of an activist-politician and a Central government officer, actually…

Ashish Joshi: The cigar-smoking bureaucrat on whose complaint CBI raided Delhi secretariat

Ashish Joshi, an Indian Post and Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service officer, concedes he smokes cigars, but not in the office premises as alleged by an Aam Aadmi Party leader when Joshi was forced to relinquish the post of Member Secretary, Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC). Joshi, believed to be close to AAP’s ideology then, was let down, and he in turn complained against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s key bureaucrat Rajendra Kumar, a 1989 batch IAS. Know more about Ashish Joshi:

CBI Raid On Delhi Secretariat: More about Rajendra Kumar, IIT alumnus, IAS

IT WAS a cold Tuesday morning in Delhi. But political heat was unprecedented, as the CBI raided the office of Rajendra Kumar, principal secretary to Delhi CM in a case dated back to 2002-2005. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took to social media to announce that his office was raided. Then he countered the CBI's claims: “CBI lying. My own office raided. Files of CM office are being looked into. Let Modi say which file he wants?” BoI here is not going into the charges and counter-charges, but simply tells its readers who is Rajendra Kumar, an officer quite close to…

A new Kejriwal in UP? IAS officer Surya Pratap Singh set to announce his political party on Wednesday

IT’S official, now. Surya Pratap Singh, 1982 batch UP cadre IAS, will on Wednesday formally announce the formation of a new political party that is likely to focus on 2017 assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh. Once the political party is announced, Singh will join the list of bureaucrat-turned political entrepreneur, the others being IRS-turned Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and IAS-turned…

What activist cop Amitabh Thakur had to tell Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal; excerpts from a 2013 letter

TWO days after 1992 batch UP cadre IPS officer Amitabh Thakur lodged a police complaint against ruling Samajwadi Party chief and UP chief minister’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav, the state government on Monday night suspended him on the charge of indiscipline and anti-establishment approach. Thakur on Monday also met senior officials of union home ministry to demand a CBI enquiry into a rape charge against him and also to ask for more protection for him and his family. Those who know Thakur say he does not really hide behind conduct rules while expressing his views. BoI here reproduces a December 29, 2013 letter written by Thakur to Arvind Kejriwal who had then just taken over as the Delhi CM (Thakur himself made the letter public in a blog post). After all, it’s unusual for an IPS officer of one state writing an open letter to a chief minister of another state. Here below is the full text of the letter:

Shakuntala Gamlin Saga: Who will defend an officer if she is publicly shamed?

THE controversy around two IAS officers, Shakuntala Gamlin of Delhi and Amit Kataria of Chhattisgarh, during the last one week, has raised one pertinent question: How should an officer react to or defend herself if she is shamed publicly? If the officer speaks directly to the media to defend her, there is a possibility that she could be charged of violating the conduct rules. And if she does not, it will be assumed that the officer concerned has conceded to be guilty! Let’s first see how 2004 batch Chhattisgarh cadre IAS…

Know Your Babu: Delhi’s new acting chief secretary Shakuntala Gamlin

FOR the last couple of days, 1984 batch AGMUT cadre IAS Shakuntala Gamlin, has been in news, as she is sandwiched in the jung (war) between Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. Kejriwal did not want Ms Gamlin as his acting chief secretary (Delhi chief secretary is now in US on a personal visit), but Jung found her the most suitable among the names proposed by Delhi government. In fact, Delhi government formally asked her not to take charge, but on Saturday, Ms Gamlin took over as the top bureaucrat of the Delhi. Here are 10 things you may like to know about Ms Gamlin.

Delhi govt bureaucrats asked to spot defamatory news and pass it over to principal secretary (home); full text of the controversial circular

ALL bureaucrats working under the government of National Capital Territory of Delhi have a new assignment: To find news items which they think are defamatory to chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal), his ministers and officials, and then to lodge a formal complaint to principal secretary (home) who in turn will seek the opinion of the director (prosecution) and law department so that further action could be taken. Though the circular was issued last week (May 6 to be precise), it came to the limelight only on Sunday. Political parties condemned the circular, with the BJP saying the circular implies that there is an unannounced emergency under Kejriwal. First, let's read what’s exact wording in the circular:

Know Your Babu: IRS-IT officer Sunita Kejriwal

Kejriwal hugs wife Sunita, IRS

"Thank u Sunita for always being there”, IRS-turned Delhi CM-in-waiting Arvind Kejriwal twitted after getting a thumping victory in Delhi poll. His message addressed to his wife, also an Indian Revenue Service officer, was retweeted 6,200 times till 10 am on Wednesday. The message in the micro-blogging site was also accompanied by two photographs, in one Kejriwal was seen hugging his wife. But who is Sunita Kejriwal? How did the Kejriwals meet? How was the courtship? Was tgheir a resistance from their families? Know more about IRS Sunita:

Exit polls say Paanch Saal Kejriwal; what will this ex-IRS’s return as Delhi CM mean for IAS, IPS, IRS…?

IF EXIT POLL trends on Delhi elections come true, former Indian Revenue Service officer Arvind Kejriwal will be the next chief minister of Delhi. For this babu-turned Aam Aadmi, this will be his second homecoming as Delhi CM, as he had already headed the Delhi government for 49 days last year before resigning from the post understandably to plunge into Parliamentary elections. The question now arises how bureaucrats including IAS, IPS and his own former IRS colleagues will take Paanch Saal Kejriwal as the Delhi CM. When Kejriwal first…

A Tale of Two IRS: What BJP’s Udit Raj has to say about his “junior” Arvind Kejriwal

Udit Raj: Attacking his junior in IRS

DID Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s performance as an income-tax officer below par? Let’s have a look at what his senior in Income-Tax department Udit Raj has to say. Raj, a BJP candidate from North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, says…

Former IPS and AAP candidate against Shashi Tharoor: More about Ajit Joy

FOMER IPS officer and Supreme Court lawyer Ajit Joy has been nominated by Aam Aadmi Party as its candidate from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, a constituency currently held by union minister of state for HRD Shashi Tharoor. Son of an Air Force officer and 1992 batch IPS officer who quit the service to become a lawyer, Joy had earlier…

Know Your Aam Babu: Decks cleared for SK Srivastava as Delhi’s new chief secretary

THE decks have been cleared for 1980 batch AGMU cadre IAS Sanjay Kumar Srivastava to be appointed as the new chief secretary of Delhi. State chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly chosen him as the top bureaucrat of the state, prompting the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet repatriating…

AAP kaa IAS Rajendra Kumar: More about this Kejriwal’s pick, his IIT background, PM’s award

WHEN 1989 batch AGMU cadre IAS Rajendra Kumar on Tuesday drove down to meet Delhi’s chief minister designate Arvind Kejriwal in his Ghaziabad residence, speculations arose about Kumar becoming Kejriwal’s key bureaucrat. Like Kejriwal, 47-year-old Kumar is also an IIT alumnus and is personally known to Kejriwal who left Indian Revenue Service to be a social activist and then a politician. Kumar is tipped to be Kejriwal’s principal secretary once…

Why is IRS Association upset over Arvind Kejriwal's radio ad? Full text of IRS Association's letter

ON Friday, Indian Revenue Service Association wrote a letter to Aam Aadmi Party chief and former IRS-IT officer Arvind Kejriwal to convey its anguish over Kejriwal’s reported statement that he could have made crores of rupees as an income-tax commissioner, but left the service to serve the nation. IRS Association says, the statement has maligned everyone in the department while reminding the I-T official-turned politician that his wife is still a member of the department. Full text of the letter below:

Ex-IAS officer Sanjeev Sabhlok asks Arvind Kejriwal to stop “silly dramatics”

Sabhlok

A FORMER IAS officer Sanjeev Sabhlok has a piece of advice to Arvind Kejriwal, a bureaucrat-turned political activist who has been on an indefinite fast against “inflated” power bills. “Arvind should stop this silly dramatics and learn about good governance”, writes Sabhlok, a 1982 batch IAS officer who resigned from the elite service and moved to Australia. Here is Sabhlok’s main objection to Kejriwal’s venture: