AAP vs bureaucrats war in Delhi gets murkier; manhandled at secretariat, claims Ashish Khetan

Pic Courtesy: Facebook

The issue of allegations of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs manhandling Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has blown into an all-out war between the government and the bureaucrats and seems to be getting murkier. According to latest reports, AAP leader Ashish Khetan has alleged that he was manhandled at Delhi Secretariat on Tuesday.

The AAP leader even made a call to Delhi Police PCR, following which police personnel reached the Delhi Secretariat.

Police reaches Delhi Secretariat. pic.twitter.com/zYJsCjycav — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018

This came even as bureaucrats in the national capital decided to take the AAP government head on, saying they would refrain from official functioning till the issue was sorted. Members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) earlier held a meeting in this regard and then met Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal.

Following the meeting to the L-G, IAS Association Secretary Manisha Saxena told mediapersons that such incidents have been happening for past few years and claimed that several officers have been “insulted and humiliated”.

Delhi: #Visuals from inside Delhi Secretariat. pic.twitter.com/8hyCAp0viM — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018

"(We) met L-G and put forward our concerns. Chief Secretary was called for a meeting late at night; CM, Dy CM & MLAs were there, when CS reached he was roughed up. Since few years such things have been happening, officers have been insulted & humiliated," said the IAS Association Secretary.

This came after the Delhi Chief Secretary alleged that he was manhandled by AAP MLAs at the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Following this, he convened a meeting of all bureaucrats in the national capital at the Delhi Secretariat on Tuesday morning, wherein it was decided that they would boycott official work till the resolution of the issue.

The Delhi Administrative Subordinate Services even decided to go on a strike with immediate effect, demanding arrest of those who allegedly manhandled the senior bureaucrat.

Delhi Administrative Subordinate Services president DN Singh told mediapersons, "We are going on a strike with immediate effect, we are with our Chief Secretary, until they (those at fault) are not arrested we will not get back (to work)."

He further said that the body has urged the Lt Governor to take legal action against those responsible. Terming the situation as "Constitutional crisis", he said that such a thing has never happened in past many years.

AAP's response to false allegations by Chief Secretary

pic.twitter.com/dl3M2MrXW6 — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 20, 2018

Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party, however, refuted the allegations. While Kejriwal said that there was heated exchange, AAP issued a statement claiming that the bureaucrat used “bad language” and refused to give any information on issues of public importance.

Terming the claims of the bureaucrat as “ludicrous allegations”, the AAP claimed that the allegations were made at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “Obviously, he is doing it at BJP’s behest. BJP has stooped very low in disrupting governance in Delhi through LG and officers.”