UP setback: Durga Shakti should apologise, says SP minister

Lucknow, Aug 6: A day after UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav justified the suspension of IAS officer Durga Sakthi Nagpal, senior minister Ahmed Hasan today asked the suspended official to apologise and said media and officials taking up her cause were harming their own credibility.

In a statement that expressed the unrelenting stand of the Samajwadi Party government over the IAS officer's suspension, UP minister Ahmed Hasan in the presence of Yadav and his cabinet colleagues said the issue was being "highlighted unnecessarily".

"Media is highlighting it. This issue is harming the credibility of media and officials," Hasan said during a launch of a government programme at the CM's residence.

He further added that a section of the media was creating unnecessary hype and a paper today even termed Nagpal as more popular than Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.

Nagpal is a young official who was suspended for demolition of a mosque's wall and she needs to apologise, the minister said. Stressing that Nagpal had been suspended on the report of the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) as she did not perform her duty, Hasan asked the IAS association to maintain its dignity.

Hasan also said that once the family to which Nagpal is revealed, all would know whom they had been backing. Describing Akhilesh Yadav as a "decent" chief minister, he reminded the IAS officers and media of the previous government under which they were not even allowed to express their views.

The minister also attacked the central government for politicising the issue and defaming the state government. They should understand the emotions of the people, he said adding that Noida is just adjacent to Delhi and the Centre could find out the facts themselves.

He also blamed the opposition of giving unnecessary importance to the issue.

PTI