In the run-up to the elections Kamal Nath, newly elected CM of Madhya Pradesh, had warned the government employees of the state to be ready to face the ‘consequences’ and his ‘wrath’ when Congress party forms the government in the state. Following his statement, Kamal Nath government on Wednesday, has terminated 22 officials from their post with immediate effect without any further explanation.
In a similar fashion, Bhupesh Baghel government of Chhattisgarh, removed Director General of Police (DGP) AN Upadhyay and four other officials in state secretariat. It must be noted that the then state government of Chhattisgarh had appointed Upadhyay as DGP on a special deputation. Election Commission of India had directed that poll process would not be conducted under an in-charge DGP (AN Upadhyay was then in-charge DGP) in Chhattisgarh, so special deputation was passed for his appointment. AN Upadhyay was responsible for maintaining law and order in Naxal affected areas of Chhattisgarh and helped the EC in conducting free and fair elections.
The newly-elected Congress government in Chhattisgarh late Wednesday evening removed Director General of Police (DGP) AN Upadhyay. Awasthi, who is Special Director General (SDG) has been given temporary charge.https://t.co/YjRPI4nYSI
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 20, 2018
It seems that Congress party has gone on a spree of political witch-hunt. Chhattisgarh government removed four officers including Secretary of the state, Chief Secretary, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and DGP of the state. Going one step further, Kamal Nath government Of Madhya Pradesh revoked top officers of almost every department without any further clarification.
https://twitter.com/Abhina_Prakash/status/1075663254708355072
The Congress party may try to project these transfers as a way to infuse new ideas for running the newly formed government, but the cruel truth is that the newly appointed CMs of Congress party of both the states has a ton of cases pending against them. By transferring the officials, they are trying to pressurize the bureaucracy.
Kamal Nath’s political career has been marred with many controversies. Reportedly, he has been a serious offender of communal harmony and had also compromised with the national security. Kamal Nath has been accused of passing classified and sensitive information to US consul general. Not only that, but Kamal Nath has also been alleged in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Bhupesh Baghel got the attention of the national media when his close relative and senior journalist Vinod Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police in an alleged sex CD case in connection with the state Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Rajesh Munat. CBI, after an investigation for more than a year, filed a charge sheet in the court of special CBI judge Sumit Kapoor, who remanded the then state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel to 14 days of judicial custody. In another instance, the State Economic Offenses Investigation Bureau registered a case against Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In the run-up to the elections, Kamal Nath had promised to go after the bureaucrats and government officials. While addressing a rally during at Budhni, Kamal Nath breathed fire against police officials as he cautioned them saying, “They should respect the uniforms they wore.” He went on to say, “Yaad rakhna, 11 ke baad 12 bhee aata hai” (all officials should remember that there will be 12th after 11th)”. In his speech, he was referring to the vote-counting day in the state of Chhattisgarh that happened on 11th of December. It seems he was more than serious about this vendetta politics as is evident from the sweeping directive.
