Home Ministry ignores Bedi's outburst

An official, however, says the ministry has no intention of initiating disciplinary proceedings against her unless forced to do so, report Aloke Tikku and Ravi Bajpai.

Senior police officer Kiran Bedi continued her attack on the government for not appointing her Delhi Police Commissioner on Thursday, but Union Home Ministry officials hinted that the government was not in a hurry to react to her statements. Officials said the Home Ministry disapproved her outburst. "It is unbecoming of an officer of her rank and seniority to speak the way she has in a violation of the conduct rules that govern officers," an official said. He, however, promptly clarified that the ministry had no intention of initiating disciplinary proceedings against her unless forced to do so.

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Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal rubbished the allegations. "There is a set procedure for selection for any government post. If the Delhi Police Commissioner has been selected then the due procedure must have been followed. As for these allegations I have nothing to say," said Jaiswal. "It was a well-considered decision, taken at the level of the Home Minister after due consultations," a Home Ministry official added.

Bedi had claimed on Wednesday that the government had "compromised merit" in making YS Dadwal the police commissioner. On Thursday, Bedi asked whether it was a demerit if she had the courage to "speak her mind and spread proper information".

"Behaviour like this is exactly one of the reasons why she never made it to the post … She could never work within the system and improve it," an official said, wondering how she could complain about points of merit.