A 1991 batch IAS officer, Ashok Khemka and whistleblower in the ‘DlF-Vadra land deal’ in Haryana on Sunday backed suspended UP IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal’s action against the sand mafia.
While talking to the mediapersons, Khemka termed Durga’s stern action as ‘bold step’. He said that Nagpal’s act was as per law. “Very few young IAS officers would have dared to do this (acting against the sand mafia), added Khemka.
Nagpal was suspended ostensibly for breaking down a wall of the mosque, an action the Uttar Pradesh Government said could have communal tension.
Ashok Khemka himself has been crucified for canceling the mutation of the controversial `58-crore land deal between UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and reality giant DlF in Gurgaon district. Though he had ordered an enquiry into all of Vadra’s land deals in four Haryana district around Delhi since 2005, it was declared as clean deals by the concerned deputy commissioners.
Khemka has been transferred 43 times in over two decades and 19 transfers have been done by Hooda Government since March 2005.
Over his continuous transfers, Khemka added that “Hooda Government actions against me were initially subtle but later on it became harsh.”
Recently, when Khemka exposed major irregularities in the purchase of fungicides from an international manufacturer, he was ousted from managing director of the Haryana Seeds Development Corp (HSDC) and given the post of secretary of Archive department of Haryana.