New Delhi, June 17: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday assured the IAS officers of their safety and security and urged them to "return to work" and attend ministers' meetings.
"I wish to assure them that I will ensure their safety and security with all my powers and resources available at my command. I have given similar assurances earlier also to many officers who have been meeting me privately. I reiterate it today," Kejriwal said in a letter posted on his Twitter account.
The IAS Officers' Association had earlier in the day told reporters that they feared for their safety under this government and had alleged that despite cases of assault on civil servants, there has been no assurance from the Chief Minister.
"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," IAS Association Secretary Manisha Saxena, who is a Divisional Commissioner and Secretary, Arts, Culture, Languages, had told reporters on Sunday afternoon.
She also refuted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders' charge of civil servants being on strike, saying officers are attending all the statutory meetings and also working overtime.
Assuaging them with the promise of their safety, Kejriwal urged the bureaucrats to stop boycotting the government and start meeting the ministers and take their phone calls.
"They should work without fear or pressure. They should not come under any pressure from any sources whether state government or Central government or any political party," he added.
Also on Sunday, AAP led a massive protest rally through the heart of the city demanding from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his intervention in the matter and persuading the bureaucrats to return to work.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kedarnath: The Kedarnath assembly by-election in Uttarakhand has entered its final phase, but a controversy erupted last evening after liquor bottles were recovered from a car in the Chopta area of Tallanagpur. The car reportedly had a BJP Pradesh Working Committee sticker, raising questions about the state government and election integrity.
Congress candidate Manoj Rawat, along with his supporters, intercepted the car on Sunday evening and claimed it belonged to a BJP worker. They alleged that the BJP was distributing liquor to influence voters and misusing government machinery for electoral gains. Following the incident, Rawat and his supporters staged a protest at the spot, raising slogans against the ruling party.
Rawat accused the BJP of engaging in unethical practices, calling it a blatant attempt to sway voters. "The BJP is misusing its power and distributing liquor to manipulate the election process. This is a direct attack on democracy," he said.
In response, the BJP dismissed the allegations as baseless propaganda by Congress, aimed at tarnishing the ruling party's image out of fear of losing the election. A BJP spokesperson stated, "Congress is trying to mislead the public by fabricating such accusations. The people of Kedarnath are well aware of our development work and know whom to trust."
The BJP further alleged that Congress was attempting to influence the election by creating unnecessary controversy and added that such claims would not impact the BJP's chances in the by-poll.
Breaking
— Anshuman Sail Nehru (@AnshumanSail) November 17, 2024
BJP is completely polluting Devbhoomi Uttarakhand with dirty politics of money and liquor
In Kedarnath Byelection, Liquor has been seized from BJP office bearers car. This is shameless beyond point. Stop hurting Hindu sentiments, BJP. pic.twitter.com/DYiECfJs8s