The Uttar Pradesh government came in for sharp criticism in the Lokayukta bungalow controversy with political parties and former administrative officers attacking Estate department officials for undertaking unnecessary actions to demean the office of the ombudsman.
They claimed that the government attack on the High Court judgement amounted to contempt of court.
“Rajya Sampatti Adhikari (RSA) Yogesh Awasthi openly questioned the High Court’s verdict while citing that they had withdrawn their earlier order of cancellation of bungalow to the Lokayukta,” pointed out retired DG-rank officer BK Bhalla while claiming that the Estate department must be aware that the High Court decision was already reserved much in advance of withdrawal of the cancellation order.
“The RSA objected to press conference held by two officials of Lokayukta office to highlight the High Court judgement but he seems to be unaware that his own conduct of attacking the court judgement amounts to immediate contempt proceedings,” Bhalla said, adding that it would be better that the government initiated action against those responsible for cancelling the bungalow allotment instead of taking the fight out in the open.
The former DG also pointed out that the Lokayukta had power to entrust any of his officer to speak on his behalf to the media. “After the mistake of cancelling the bungalow allotment order, the Estate department made another blunder by openly questioning and even threatening the officers of Lokayukta office for taking up the matter with concerned authorities to initiate disciplinary action against them,” the former senior police officer said.
Meanwhile, UP Congress and Aap Party leaders also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the issue.
“The BJP government has always tried to hush up their own misconduct or involvement in corruption so they were against any authority who could expose their wrong doings,” said UPCC general secretary Vinod Mishra.
“Every one knows that Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister was against appointing Lokayukta and now in the near-five-year term as Prime Minister, he has so far not appointed any Lokpal. The Modi government has been filing distorted facts in the apex court to save the government on large-scale irregularities in Rafale fighter jet deal. The Yogi regime is only adopting the path shown by Modi and hence government officers are freely attacking High Court and even questioning the functioning of Lokayukta,” he pointed out.
Rajya Sabha MP and Aap Party leader Sanjay Singh said that in Gujarat, it was Narendra Modi who went to the apex court over the non-appointment of a Lokayukta in the state and now in UP, Yogi has been threatening the Lokayukta office by saying it would go to Supreme Court over allotment of a bungalow.
“The BJP regime in UP does not want Lokayukta office to function freely, else corruption of ministers and officers will be exposed. But their move to go to apex court would meet the same fate which Modi tasted in the Gujarat Lokayukta matter,” Singh added.