Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday refused to react to former Home Secretary RK Singh’s allegations. He said he did not consider Singh as a former Home Secretary, as he was “now a BJP man”.
However, in a retaliatory step, the Ministry of Home Affairs withdrew the staff working in the former Home Secretary’s residence by evening.
Shinde, whom the former Home Secretary accused of saving a businessman linked to Dawood Ibrahim from IPl betting probes, said that his party would respond to “BJP man Singh’s allegations”.
“Singh is now a political man. His allegations are political in nature. He is now with BJP. I do not see him as a former home secretary but as a BJP man. I will not react to his allegations. My party will respond to his allegations,” an evasive Shinde told reporters.
This is the first time Shinde was talking to the Press after Singh leveled serious allegations him on Monday. Apart from protecting a 2G accused linked to Dawood Ibrahim from IPl betting probes, Singh said, Shinde and his office was even intervening in the transfer and posting of SHO level officers in Delhi Police.
Nearly a dozen government employees, mostly drawn from different paramilitary forces, who were retained by Singh after his retirement, have been asked to report to their respective organisations immediately, sources said.
The personnel are engaged in various secretarial work and domestic chores. A retired bureaucrat is not allowed to retain personal staff. However, the former Home Secretary, who retired on June 30 last year and joined the BJP recently, will continue to enjoy the security cover of the Delhi Police, the sources said.
Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier also took such retaliatory measures when former Army Chief General VK Singh participated in the protest in connection with Delhi gang-rape. Singh’s security was withdrawn by MHA and an FIR was registered against him.