Delhi chief secretary ‘assaulted’: Bureaucrats to boycott meetings until Kejriwal apologise

Bureaucrats said on Tuesday they will boycott all meetings called by Arvind Kejriwal and his Cabinet till the chief minister apologised for the alleged assault on Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs.

The three associations of officers of the IAS (Indian Administrative Service), DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) and DSSS (Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board) passed a resolution at a meeting on Tuesday, saying that they would, however, maintain written communications with Aam Aadmi Party ministers to ensure there was no disruption in public service delivery.

"All the three associations have decided to boycott meetings called by all Delhi ministers in protest against the attack on the chief secretary by MLAs at the CM's residence," said divisional commissioner Manisha Saxena, who is the general secretary of the IAS officers' association.

Members of the three bodies also took out a candlelight march to Rajghat on Tuesday to protest against the incident.

The resolution passed by the officers' bodies said that since public interest was of paramount importance, and to ensure there was no disruption in public service delivery, the three associations would maintain formal written communication with the political executive, till the chief minister apologised for the Monday night attack.

The bodies alleged the "abhorrent" incident had resulted in a "serious breach of trust", and "shaken the faith" of the bureaucracy in the present political executive of the Delhi government.

Chief secretary Prakash alleged on Tuesday he was assaulted by some AAP MLAs in front of Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia at the chief minister's residence a day before.

In his complaint to the police, Prakash said the attack on him was "premeditated" and a "conspiracy" of all those who were present at a meeting late on Monday night at Kejriwal's residence. The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and others on Prakash's complaint.

The Aam Aadmi Party launched a counter-attack, denying the incident and accusing Prakash of working at the "behest of the BJP".Some AAP MLAs Prakash Jarwal and Ajay Dutt claimed Prakash had made casteist remarks and lodged a complaint against him with the Delhi Police and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Jarwal said.

Delhi minister Imran Hussain also said he was mobbed by government staff when he was waiting for an elevator at the Delhi Secretariat on Tuesday morning.

PTI