Facing relentless attack from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation for being on an “undeclared strike”, Delhi’s IAS association on Sunday held an unprecedented Press conference to rebut the claim that its officers are on a strike and instead alleged they are being targeted and victimised.
The Press conference was held against the backdrop of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s repeated allegation that IAS officers in Delhi are on a strike in connivance with the Centre to trouble the Delhi Government. Both the Centre and the IAS association have rejected the charge.
Responding to Kejriwal’s allegation that IAS officers are not attending meetings called by the Government, Manisha Saxena, secretary of the IAS association, said, “I would like to inform that we are not on strike. The information that IAS officers in Delhi are on strike is completely false and baseless.”
The officers denied the charge that the secretaries in the Delhi Government are not answering phone calls of Ministers and MlAs and said that none of the phone calls go unanswered.
“All phone calls from Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and MlAs are being answered,” she said.
Meanwhile, in a significant development, the Chief Minister sought to allay IAS association’s apprehensions about the safety and security of officers and assured them full safety and security.
“I am told that the IAS Officers Association has expressed concerns about their safety at a Press conference today. I wish to assure them that I will ensure their safety and security with all the powers and resources available at my command.
It is my duty. I have given similar assurances earlier also to many officers who have been meeting me privately. I reiterate it today,” Kejriwal tweeted.
“The officers are part of my family, I would urge them to stop their boycott of an elected Government, return to work now and start attending all meetings of Ministers, respond to their calls and messages and join them for field inspections. They shud work without fear or pressure. They shud not come under any pressure from any sources, whether State Govt or Central govt or any political party”, the Chief Minister stated in his tweet.
Earlier Revenue Secretary Manisha Saxena, along with Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi, South Delhi District Magistrate Amjad Tak and Directorate of Information and Publicity Secretary Jaydev Sarangi addressed the media at Press Club here and said that the IAS officers in Delhi are “working with utmost sincerity and dedication”.
“Cameras and recording cannot ensure my security. No one has assured us of our security and safety. There has been no attempt from the Government to reach out to us so that we can feel safe,” Manisha Saxena said.
“We all had various experiences of assault. We will not attend a meeting if we are not feeling safe. We have gone out of the way to ensure that public do not suffer, their work does not suffer, but we will not work at the cost of our life. We don’t go to places where we don’t feel safe. We need a culture of trust to work,” she said.
The officers said they are feeling unsafe after the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash.
The officers said that they are apolitical and neutral and their job is to implement the policies of the Government. “We are answerable only to the law and the Constitution,” they said. “We have been targeted and victimised and told that we are working with someone. We would like to inform that we are not on strike,” Saxena said.
“We all are in our offices doing our work, conducting inspections and everybody is working with utmost sincerity and dedication,” Saxena said, adding that the “abnormal situation” forced them to address the Press and clarify their stand.
Saxena also said that the officers are “attending meetings” and that all departments are doing their work. “We are sometimes also working on holidays,” she said. She also refuted the allegations that the secretaries are not taking calls of Ministers in Delhi.
“Delhi has a unique position and it is something on which we have no control....We neither support any political party nor we are against any political party. We work as per law and Constitution,” Saxena said. The officers said that they would not attend those meetings which they feel would be “unsafe”.
They were apparently referring to the alleged assault of Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by some AAP MlAs during an official meeting at Kejriwal’s residence on the night of February 19. Saxena also claimed that she had got a threat in the past but did not elaborate.
“We are feeling frightened and victimised. We are being used for completely political reasons,” said Varsha Joshi, Delhi Transport Commissioner and an office bearer of the association. Taking a dig at the AAP (without naming it), Joshi said the social media handle of a particular party is damaging her image. “Please don’t use us for politics. Please let us do our work,” she said.