New Delhi: While Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) campaigns hard in the poll-bound Gujarat, a controversial comment by the Delhi CM has stirred a hornet’s nest.
More than 50 formers bureaucrats, apparently upset over Kejriwal’s objectionable offer to public servants, have written to the Chief Election Commissioner (CJI) demanding that the panel withdraws recognition of the party, thus rendering it redundant. The body of ex-bureaucrats accused the AAP convenor of blatantly inducing & politicizing the civil servants for its own political gains.
“We totally disapprove of blatant efforts of AAP to politicize civil servants. We reiterate that civil servants are meant to be non-partisan and serve Government and the people and execute policies adopted by the Parliament and the executive. In disingenuously inducing public servants to “work for the AAP”, Mr. Kejriwal ignores that civil servants are bound by the Code of Conduct,” the former bureaucrats wrote in the hard-worded letter.
At a press conference in Gujarat’s Rajkot on Sept 3, Arvind Kejriwal reportedly urged & exhorted state’s civil servants to come together and work for AAP’s victory in upcoming state polls. Making an outreach to bureaucrats & officers including police, home guards, drivers & polling officers, Kejriwal allegedly urged them all to join the party’s bid to oust the BJP govt and help it take over the reins of state for better & efficient governance.
“Through his unacceptable comments, public servants have been relegated to being employees of political parties in power. We firmly believe that such instigative comments, coming from the convener of the AAP and a sitting Chief Minister diminishes public confidence in institutions and guardians of the state,” it said further in the statement.
The BJP-ruled state is headed to Assembly elections later this year. AAP is hoping to throw a serious challenge to the ruling dispensation and also possibly dislodge it, and is thus trying to tap on the anti-incumbency as the state has been under BJP rule for more than 20 years.