In a recent development, several officers posted in the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have come forward to allege “blatant harassment” by the Arvind Kejriwal administration, according to officials at the Lieutenant Governor (LG) Office. The allegations of harassment were made by eight officers, including five IAS officers, an IPS officer, an IRS officer, and an ad-hoc DANICS officer. The officers claim that they have faced mistreatment since the Supreme Court granted control of services matters, except for police, land, and public order, to the elected government in Delhi.
Notably, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, former services secretary Ashish More, special secretaries Kinny Singh and YVVJ Rajasekhar, and Power Secretary Shurbir Singh are among those who have filed complaints against the AAP government. Two of the officers, Madhur Verma and Shurbir Singh, have alleged that their families are being targeted in their home state of Punjab. Singh has even approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court to address the harassment faced by his family. Since the apex court ruling, there has been an escalating discord between bureaucrats and the AAP dispensation in Delhi. The tension reached a new height when Ashish More was removed as services secretary shortly after the court’s decision. Furthermore, Delhi Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Chief Secretary Kumar of issuing a death threat to him, which Kumar refuted in a letter to the LG.
Kumar claimed that Bharadwaj’s allegations were an attempt to divert attention from his own alleged misconduct with the officers of the services department. The ongoing conflict between the Delhi government and the officers has raised concerns about the working environment and cooperation between the two entities. The lack of immediate reactions from both the AAP and the accused officers adds further intrigue to the situation. As the allegations of harassment and counter-allegations persist, it remains to be seen how the authorities will address and resolve the growing discontent among bureaucrats in Delhi.