UP minister calls suspended IAS officer a liar

Lucknow, Aug 6: Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Ahmad Hasan Tuesday called suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal a liar who he said had brought "a bad name" to the IAS cadre with her immaturity.

The minister made these comments in the presence of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the latter's residence at an event held to unveil animal husbandry and dairy development projects.

The minister said that by ordering the razing of an under construction boundary wall of a mosque in a Noida village, Nagpal had threatened communal harmony.

He accused the media of playing into her hands without ascertaining the facts.

The health minister, a former IPS officer, also alleged that the Congress was playing 'siyasat' (politics) on the whole matter.

The chief minister refused to be drawn into the debate and said the "administrative process was underway."

"The official as per rules has been served a chargesheet and subsequent course of action is being followed," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh government suspended Nagpal, a sub-divisional magistrate in Noida, after charging her with ordering the demolition of a mosque wall. She denied the charge.

It is widely believed that Samajwadi Party leaders were upset that she had cracked down on a mafia extracting sand illegally from rivers beds in the region.

IANS