UP Government must reinstate the IAS officer
Regardless of the justifications that the Akhilesh Yadav Government of Uttar Pradesh trots out, the fact is that it has hounded and persecuted intrepid IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal for doing her job effectively. If the State administration is to be believed, Ms Nagpal’s decision to demolish a wall that was being illegally raised on Government land near a mosque in Kadalpur village imperilled her position, as her action could have led to a communal flare-up. But the report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh Government by the Divisional Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar on Saturday trashes that argument on three grounds. First, Ms Nagpal did not demolish the wall. The residents tore it down after she explained the position. After Ms Nagpal and other officers inspected the illegal structure, they advised the locals to either seek legal permission to build a religious structure, or knock it down. The locals decided on the latter. Ms Nagpal had no role in it and she definitely did not commission any bulldozers or other heavy machinery, as the Government has alleged. Second, there were no fears of communal tension in the area. This is a fact that has been reiterated by the local police. Third, since the wall was still under construction, even the nature of the religious site was unclear.
Clearly, the Uttar Pradesh Government's decision to penalise Ms Nagpal stands on assertions that barely even qualify as flimsy excuses. This also explains why it did not care to follow established procedures before suspending Ms Nagpal. Neither was there any official investigation against her nor was the Union Government informed of the suspension, as required by law. Instead, she was issued the marching orders in the wee hours of a Sunday. The Government's desperation to get Ms Nagpal out of the way, so much so that it was willing to concoct material against her, has strengthened the argument that the IAS officer is being targetted for cracking down on the State's powerful sand mafia. Particularly affected by Ms Nagpal's efforts to curtail dredging on the banks of the Yamuna and Hindon rivers was a senior member of the ruling party who had earlier also made several futile attempts to transfer the officer out of his turf.
The Kadalpur incident was a god-send opportunity. Not only did it allow the Samajwadi Party-led Government to get rid of an inconveniently honest officer but also offered yet another chance for minority appeasement in the run-up to the 2014 lok Sabha election. The manner in which party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav raised the bogey of communal violence shows how some leaders carefully cultivate a victim mindset within minority communities, as they play cynical vote-bank politics. And if this wasn't enough, the Government has given no indications of backing down from its anti-Nagpal stance even though its motives have been exposed. The only silver lining here is the manner in which the IAS fraternity has come together in support of Ms Nagpal. The Indian Civil and Administrative Service Association has raised the matter with New Delhi (which has otherwise been coy on the issue). The only way now for the State administration to regain some credibility is to reinstate the courageous officer.