PWD Min Jitin too believed to be upset with Government
The 100-day celebrations of the Yogi Adityanath Government 2.0 were marred by a controversy when UP Minister of State for Jal Shakti Dinesh Khatik reportedly sent in his resignation letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that he was “sidelined because of being a Dalit”.
PWD Minister Jitin Prasada too is believed to be upset with the Government over the transfer of his officer on special duty (OSD) Anil Kumar Pandey. Five other officers have been suspended following allegations of irregularities and corruption in the PWD.
Dinesh Khatik claimed in his letter that he was not assigned any work for 100 days. “I am resigning because I am hurt,” he said in the letter while alleging irregularities in departmental transfers.
“I was not given any importance because I am a Dalit. I have no authority as a Minister. My working as a Minister of State is a waste for the Dalit community. I am not called to any meeting and not told anything about my Ministry. This is an insult to the Dalit community,” Khatik wrote in his two-page letter that has gone viral.
The Pioneer does not independently verify the authenticity of the letter.
The letter is addressed to Shah rather than Yogi, which in political circles is seen as a way to keep the option open to withdraw his resignation.
Khatik, a two-time legislator, is a prominent Dalit leader of western Uttar Pradesh and represents Hastinapur Assembly constituency of Meerut. Last year also, during the Yogi Government 1.0, he had threatened to resign over police action against a trader in Meerut’s Ganganagar and the reluctance of the local police officials to act on his directions.
In his letter, without naming Jal Shakti Minister (Cabinet) Swatantra Dev Singh, Khatik claimed that he was not assigned any work. “I am given an impression that the Minister of State should not expect anything more than an official car,” he wrote in his letter.
His letter, which repeatedly refers to the fact that he is a Dalit, alleges that he is not kept in the loop by the officials in matters related to the Ministry, or invited to any departmental meeting.
“On July 9, I enquired about transfers in the department after receiving complaints of irregularities and corruption but did not get a response despite speaking to the top officials of the government and the department. I also sought details about the transfers made in the department in 2022-23 but the details were not provided to me,” Khatik said in his letter.
“When I sought clarification, my phone was bluntly disconnected midway by the principal secretary of the department,” Khatik said in his letter.
He also alleged corruption in transfer of officials saying money changed hands during transfer which was a violation of Yogi’s commitment of clean administration.
“If you want you can verify my charges through an independent agency,” he said.
Later in the day, Khatik refused to confirm or deny whether he had resigned from the council of Ministers.
“Koi vishay nahi hai (there is no issue),” Khatik, told reporters in Hastinapur.
Meanwhile, downplaying the controversy over the alleged resignation of Khatik, Singh said the issue had been blown out of proportion and no one was angry with him.
“I am in touch with Khatik regularly. In fact, we talk almost daily. He is not angry,” Singh, who is also the BJP State president, told reporters here on Wednesday.
“If there is any issue, we both will sit down and settle it,” he said.
Singh said Khatik had full respect in the party and the Government. “Whatever he says is taken seriously. Despite this, if there is any issue, it will be discussed and a solution will be found,” he said.