Angry over the suspension of an upright IAS officer, Durga Shakti Nagpal, people cutting across party lines protested at the Collector’s office in Greater Noida on Monday.
The protesters were demanding revocation of the suspension order against the young officer. Over 1,500 members of various political parties, including the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gathered at the Collector’s office early in the morning and held a peaceful dharna.
They urged the District Magistrate to revoke the suspension of Nagpal, posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Gautam Budh Nagar. They warned the district administration that they would keep on holding protests till the Uttar Pradesh Government did not revoke her suspension order.
“We have assembled here to register our protest against the move of the Uttar Pradesh Government to hound out an honest and upright officer under pressure of the mining mafia. We have given a memorandum to the District Magistrate in this regard and have demanded re-appointment of the SDM,” said BB Joshi, a senior BJP leader.
“We are disappointed with the decision of the State Government to suspend Durga Shakti Nagpal, an honest IAS officer, from her post. The Government took the decision under pressure of a lobby of the sand mining mafia that is active in the region. We will continue our agitation till the Government cancels her suspension,” said Abhishek Shukla, senior member of AAP.
Nagpal had formed a special squad to rein in the sand mafia and had seized 24 dumpers engaged in illegal quarrying in the past two days before her suspension. Fifteen alleged offenders had also been arrested. Special flying squads have been formed to stop the menace along the Yamuna and Hindon rivers in western UP.
In a dramatic move, the UP Government shunted out Nagpal on Saturday night. Sources had said that the officer, who clamped down on illegal mining in the region, was put under suspension under pressure from the sand mafia.
However, sources in the administration said that she was suspended by the Uttar Pradesh Government because of her decision to demolish the wall of a mosque constructed on Gram Sabha land in Kadalpur village in Greater Noida.