Strongly criticising Congress and other political parties for ‘politicising’ the case of teacher Uttara Bahuguna who was suspended after a verbal altercation with Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Friday, Bharatiya Janata Party State spokesman and MlA Munna Singh Chauhan stressed that there was nothing wrong in what the CM had done. He accused the Congress of observing double standards and citing a social media post of the said teacher a day before the incident, also raised the possibility of her being a pawn in a political conspiracy.
Addressing the media at the BJP State office, Chauhan said that the Congress and other political parties had stooped down to a low level by holding demonstrations and politicising the issue. He said, “Factually, the case should be seen in context with the administrational issues involved in it. The teacher blatantly violated the service conduct rules in the way she behaved with the CM and visited his Janata Darbar. Twice earlier, disciplinary action had been initiated against her in 2016 during the term of the Congress Government. She had also been served a notice regarding termination of her service.
The Congress should tell the people of Uttarakhand, why it did nothing in her case then if they are finding it so critical now.
Even the video clip clearly shows that the CM tried his best to facilitate the teacher. Being the highest among executives in the State, he is also responsible for maintaining discipline and the suspension he ordered after warning the teacher, is not a punishment.”
He, further, said that considering the contents of the Facebook post of the teacher a day before the incident, one may also consider the possibility of her ending up being a pawn in someone’s political conspiracy.
Replying to questions being raised about the chief minister’s wife being posted in Dehradun for more than two decades, he clarified that her transfer was done during the time of undivided Uttar Pradesh with the thumb rule of her foregoing promotion for inter-cadre transfer having been followed at the time. “I assure that there is no favouritism in case of the CM’s wife.
likewise the rules are being followed in the case of the wives of other ministers and in case there have been violations, the officials concerned will be taken to task.
All basic teachers are district cadre and if they seek transfer to another district they have to forego promotion and start at a junior post in the new district.
If given the option 90 per cent of the teachers posted in the mountainous regions would prefer to be transferred to the plain districts. Can we afford to do soIJ Even after the way the teacher behaved, the CM ordered immediate inquiry into her grievance while directing that her family issues also be considered. However, the CM also has to maintain discipline which is why he took the decision he took.
The Congress on the other hand is baffled because during the term of the Congress Government, transfer had assumed proportions of an industry. Now transfers happen according to the system in place. Does the Congress want the government to ignore the system and let things degenerate into anarchyIJ During the term of the previous government, 90 per cent transfers of the doctors had been halted while this time, 90 per cent of the doctors transferred have joined their posts in the mountainous regions.”