Post the alleged assault on him at the official residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday night, Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, what transpired in the meeting was not kown.
Meanwhile, top officers from IAS and Andaman Nicobar Island Civil Services (DANICS) cadres sought an appointment with President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking action against those involved in the alleged attack on the Chief Secretary. A delegation of IAS officers met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and apprised him of the situation in Delhi, expressing serious concern about the safety and security of the service officers.
“We have sought an appointment with the President to demand action against those who were involved in the attack,” Manisha Saxena, secretary of the Delhi IAS Association said on Wednesday.
She said the IAS and DANICS associations have called a meeting in the evening to discuss the issue, but asserted that all officers are working at the Delhi Secretariat.
There are around 70 IAS officers and 400 DANICS officers working in various Delhi Government departments. Officers wore black bands as a mark of protest but attended their respective offices, while two AAP Ministers attended their offices.
In his police complaint, Prakash has alleged that he had been called to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in North Delhi’s Civil lines area, where he was attacked by some AAP legislators.
In his complaint, Prakash, a 1986-batch IAS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, said the assault was “premeditated” and a “conspiracy” of all those who were present.
However, the Chief Minister’s office has termed the accusations “bizarre and baseless”.
Meanwhile, IAS Associations across the country extended their support to the Delhi Chief Secretary and demanded exemplary action against the perpetrators.
“The IAS officers’ Association of Chhattisgarh strongly condemns the assault, harassment and intimidation of the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT Delhi and calls for immediate remedial action so that officers may continue to discharge their duties without fear or favour,” association’s secretary Richa Sharma said in a statement issued on Wednesday. The reported incident is without parallel in the annals of service and has no place in a civil and dignified society, she said. “We express our solidarity with our colleagues in Delhi and join them in their demand for swift and exemplary action against the perpetrators,” she added.
The Telangana State IAS Officers’ Association also condemned the alleged “assault”. “From the circumstances of the case, it appears that the assault was a pre-mediated act in order to bully, by use of force, the highest authority in the official executive to surrender to the irregular demands of the political executive for their self interest,” the association said in a statement.
“It is actually an attack on the institutional structure of our democracy and prevents the official executive from acting in a free, fair and impartial manner and for public interest,” it said.
All India IPS Association tweeted in support, “We stand with Mr Anshu Prakash at this moment. Officers expect dignity and self-respect to be protected”. IAS associations of other States too came out in support of Anshu Prakash as they felt that the very institution of Chief Secretary has been undermined by this despicable attack on Delhi Chief Secretary.