IAS body reciprocates CM’s security pledge with willingness to talk; Sisodia seeks meeting in l-G’s presence
A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assured the IAS officers of security and dignity, the Arunachal Pradesh Goa Mizoram & Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre IAS officers’ association on Monday showed a sign of rapprochement and said they are open to formal discussion with the City Government to end the impasse in Delhi. In turn, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia shot off a letter to lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Monday evening requesting him to call a meeting bewteen the Government and IAS officers to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Responding to IAS officers’ willingness for dialogue to end the face-off, Sisodia tweeted from hospital, where he is recuperating, “That is precisely why we have been sitting at Raj Niwas for so many days requesting the l-G to call all stakeholders and end this impasse.”
Sisodia, however, put a rider and put the onus on the l-G since he is the head of services and security. “Happy for discussion with our officers. The Delhi Government is committed to providing them safe and secure environment. However, the l-G is the head of both services and security, so meeting should take place in his presence so that assurances related to those subjects could be given,” Sisodia wrote.
Earlier, the IAS officers’ association tweeted, “The officers welcome Chief Minister’s appeal. We reiterate that we continue to be at work with full dedication and vigour. We look forward to concrete interventions for our security and dignity. We are open to formal discussion with the Chief Minister.”
Overture from the IAS officers’ association for a frank discussion with the elected Government of Delhi may break the four-month-long impasse between the AAP dispensation and the bureaucrats following assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by some ruling party MlAs at the Chief Minister’s residence in February.
According to the AAP Government, the IAS officers have been on “strike” and have been boycotting meetings with Ministers since the assault.
On Sunday, Kejriwal had responded immediately after the presser of the IAS officers’ association and had said, “I wish to assure them that I will ensure their safety and security with all my powers and resources available at my command. I have given similar assurances earlier also to many officers who have been meeting me privately. I reiterate it.”
Sharing his statement on Twitter, Kejriwal had said,
“I am told that IAS officers’ association has expressed concerns about their safety in a press conference today. I wish to assure them that I will ensure their safety and security with all powers and resources available at my command. It is my duty.”
Kejriwal, along with his colleagues, have been staying put at the l-G’s office since Monday last demanding that the l-G should direct the IAS officers to end their “strike”. Kejriwal had said that he and his colleagues will not leave the l-G’s office until their demands are met. However, the IAS officers have been maintaining that they are not on strike.
The issue has evoked support for the Delhi CM from the Kerala, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka counterparts as well as leaders of the CPI, the CPI(M), the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Shiv Sena, a BJP ally.