Chandigarh
The Punjab Congress and the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for suspending two senior IAS officers, calling the move arbitrary and an attempt to intimidate the bureaucracy.
In a statement, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said it was “obvious” that the officers had refused to comply with alleged illegal diktats of the AAP government. “It is good that officers have started standing up to the illegal diktats of the AAP government, which has always tried to misuse the bureaucracy and police,” he said.
Warring said the government should have clearly stated the reasons for the suspensions, which it failed to do as “apparently there were none” warranting such punitive action. He alleged that the AAP government was either making the officers scapegoats for its own incompetence and failures or attempting to intimidate them into carrying out illegal acts, particularly in the final year of its tenure.
The BJP also condemned the suspensions. Party’s state president Sunil Jakhar termed the move “highly objectionable” and said IAS officers form the “steel frame” of the country’s democratic system. He alleged that leaders who themselves faced corruption cases in Delhi were now attempting to promote corruption in Punjab, but the suspended officers had refused to support any wrongdoing.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP also condemned the suspensions. Party’s state president Sunil Jakhar termed the move “highly objectionable” and said IAS officers form the “steel frame” of the country’s democratic system. He alleged that leaders who themselves faced corruption cases in Delhi were now attempting to promote corruption in Punjab, but the suspended officers had refused to support any wrongdoing.
{{/usCountry}}He urged the home minister or the administrative tribunal to intervene to prevent pressure being exerted on officers to carry out illegal acts.