Durga Nagpal Suspension: Between the Lines

Indian Administrative Services, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s much cherished gift to India, have steered our country clear of many a storm and acted as the a solid pillar when the roof of democracy has given way to political storms. Yet, they are no doubt the most criticized faction of the country and I am inclined to say that not without good reason. Recently, the IAS has again struck headlines due to the suspension of Ms. Durga Shakti Nagpal, ex-Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar aka Noida who has been controversially suspended by the UP State Government.

Ms. Durga, a 2009 or 2010 batch IAS (there is ambiguity about her batch too, fresh topic for controversy! Half the articles say one thing and half say the rest.) I would like to ask the media galleries to please stick to one data. How can a single person belong to two different batches? When the source is the same then the reports should coincide too, at least to facts if not anything else.

Now comes the question of her suspension which as per reports is politically motivated, under pressure, etc. The Uttar Pradesh CM says that she was suspended for an act which could have led to communal disharmony by demolishing a mosque wall in the holy month of Ramzan. If it is so, then I am afraid I have to agree with him. However, some reports also say that she was not the SDM when the wall was demolished (now this sounds fishy!). However one thing stands confirmed, that the mosque wall was illegitimately built on Government land. The people of the concerned village have accepted this and confessed that they were not aware that the construction was illegal. In their opinion, the SDM could have given them time to remove the wall instead of demolishing it. Muslim clerics have opposed the communalisation of the issue saying that Muslims should not be used by politicians as bait for their own interests. #salute to them for stopping the buck at least from their quarter. Reports also say that the suspension of Ms.Durga has come in the wake of her crackdown on the sand mafia in UP. This could be true but I feel I am a little less informed to comment about this.

Then the news about Mr. Narendra Bhatti, who found a lot of pride in saying that he was able to get her suspended in 41 hours. Whydid he say this is a question I have not yet found answer to, but I guess Mr. Bhatti didn’t know that he was stepping in the wrong waters when he said this. I feel compelled to think that he had no idea that the country was planning to rally behind Ms.Durga. Besides, he is said to have alleged links with the sand mafia she cracked down on. What I feel is that such a thing even if he did it is nothing to brag about, not in public at least. I hope Mr. Bhatti will learn his lessons well! :p

Last but not the least I would like to comment on Rajya Sabha MP Mr. Ram Gopal Yadav,uncle of UP CM Mr.Akhilesh Yadav. He, I am bound to say has surpassed anything I could have imagined. An MP saying that ‘his government’ (which is not actually his) will ask the Centre to withdraw all its IAS officers from the state and they will run the state with their own employees, is not just to be looked down upon but mocked as well :D. It pains me to read such statements. When will our leaders grow up and stop making utterly unreasonable statements? Does it suit them as public figures to resort to such petty jabbing and back-stabbing? I say no! What do you?

All in all, with everyone ranging from the PM to political parties to SC to NCW involved, there is a lot more to hear and think about. The  days to come are surely going to be interesting and witness some hard decisions being made. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and pray to God that justice be done to all.

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