IAS officer's resignation takes political hue, Congress protests
Bengaluru, Sept 6: The resignation of IAS officer and Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) S Sasikanth Senthil on Friday took on a political colour with Congress leaders seeking to target the BJP-led NDA government.
Congress leaders, including Legislative Council member Ivan D'Souza and workers staged a protest in Mangaluru against Senthil quitting from the Indian Administrative Service.
Veteran Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge termed the resignation as an "indicator of the way India is moving".
"Democratic values are in danger and things are not happening according to the constitutional provisions.
Hence,there is dejection.
These IAS officers function directly come under the Central government. That's the reason that he(Senthil) has resigned," Kharge claimed while talking to reporters here.
He also alleged that institutions like the Income Tax, Central Bureau of Investigation, Central Vigilance Commission and the judiciary were losing their "independence" due to the interference of the central government.
BJP leader and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa sought "clarity" from Senthil on his resignation.
"I want to ask (from the officer) in clear terms, make your intentions clear.Please don't give confusing statements," Eshwarappa told reporters when his reaction was sought.
"If the officers do not cite a clear reason, then it will lead to chaos and confusion across the state",Eshwarappa said, adding, it would also damage the reputation of the officer.
In a letter to his 'friends', Senthil confirmed that he had tendered his resignation from IAS and clarified that the decision was purely a personal one.
"I have taken this decision as I feel that it is unethical for me to continue as a civil servant in the government when the fundamental building blocks of our diverse democracy are being compromised in an unprecedented manner,'' he said.
Senthil also said he feels strongly that the coming days will present extremely difficult challenges to the basic fabric of the nation and that he would be better off outside the IAS to continue with his work at making life better for all.
"It simply cannot be business as usual anymore," he remarked.
Senthil said his decision to resign was in no way connected to anyone or any event in his current profile as the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district.
"The people and the public representatives of DK (Dakshina Kannada) have been extremely kind to me and I owe an apology to them for discontinuing the job vested on me midway," he said in the letter.
Senthil, who belongs to Tamil Nadu, is a 2009 batch IAS officer.
He was made Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada in 2017.
He previously served as Deputy Commissioner in other parts of the state, including Raichur.
The post of deputy commissioner is known as District Collector in some other parts of the country.
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.
Muslim woman doctor decides not to join Bihar govt job after Nitish Kumar hijab incident
Patna: AYUSH doctor Nusrat Parveen has decided not to join Bihar government service after a controversial incident involving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, despite recently receiving her appointment letter.
Parveen was among several hijab-wearing women attending a government Samvad programme in Patna when a video surfaced showing the Chief Minister allegedly pulling down her hijab in public. The incident sparked widespread criticism and political outrage across the country.
Although Parveen is scheduled to join service on December 20, she has chosen to stay away from the job due to the distress caused by the episode. Her family members are reportedly trying to convince her to reconsider the decision.
According to The Wire, Parveen’s brother, who teaches at a government law university in Kolkata, as saying that the family is of the opinion that she should not be held back for the fault of someone else, though they are well aware of her distress over the incident. Her husband works as a clinical psychologist at a college.
ALSO READ: Bihar CM removes hijab from newly appointed doctor's face at govt event, stokes controversy
The incident gained national attention after the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) shared a video clip of the Chief Minister’s interaction with Parveen on its official X account. As per the report, the video quickly went viral, drawing strong reactions from social media users, especially women, who described the act as inappropriate and humiliating.
The RJD criticised Nitish Kumar’s conduct and questioned his mental fitness in a strongly worded post. The Congress also entered the debate by condemning the Chief Minister’s behaviour and demanding his resignation, while linking the episode to concerns over women’s safety in Bihar and arguing that such conduct from the state’s highest constitutional authority sent a disturbing message to society at large.
Despite the growing outrage and sustained political pressure, there has been no official clarification or response from Nitish Kumar, his party, or the Bihar government more than a day after the video went viral.
