Bengaluru: Why were IAS officers deployed to welcome opposition leaders, what does the rule say? Learn
India
oi-Anjan Kumar Chaudhary
On July 17 and 18, there was a gathering of leaders of about 26 opposition parties in Bengaluru. However, there is an allegation of gross misuse of the state government machinery to welcome the leaders who have arrived from all over the country for this meeting. However, the Congress government is defending itself by saying that many leaders were chief ministers and state guests.
Former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai and HD Kumaraswamy have both accused the Congress government in the state of misusing the government machinery for a political agenda. Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress government had lined up IAS officers to welcome people who had come to attend the meeting of opposition parties, which had never happened before.
Bureaucracy has never been misused like this – Kumaraswamy
JDS leader Kumaraswamy said the meeting was political and “in the last 40 years, bureaucracy has never been misused like this”. He said, ‘Such meetings of political leaders have happened in the past too, but every time they were welcomed by leaders and cadres of political parties. This is complete misuse of government machinery. He said that he too had received an invitation to visit Kolkata five years ago, but no bureaucrat was deputed to receive him.
Officers were deployed under protocol- DK Shivakumar
Responding to Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, “Being senior dignitaries other than the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, they are state guests.” IAS officers were deployed as per protocol. But, the opposition is not ready to be pacified by these arguments of the state government. Former CM and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai said that he had never heard of senior IAS officers being deployed to receive guests.
Escorting and acted like a PRO which is shameful- Basavaraj Bommai
Former CM Bommai said, ‘When CMs from other states come, they have a protocol (regarding the deployment of IAS officers). But, IAS, IPS officers are escorting Deputy CM and other leaders and acting like PROs which is shameful.
Deployed only to welcome important persons – Siddaramaiah
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said in a tweet, ‘IAS officers were deployed only to receive important persons, including CMs and deputy CMs of other states as part of protocol. Apart from this, there was no role of the state government in the programme. ,
Bureaucrats are free not to comply with unconstitutional orders: Ex-bureaucrats
In fact, OneIndia has spoken to retired bureaucrat AK Mishra of the Government of India about what the rules say about bureaucrats being used for such political programmes. “A bureaucrat bound by his duty to discharge a constitutional responsibility is free not to obey any unconstitutional order,” he said.
Officers get entangled in the affair of transfer-posting- former bureaucrat
At the same time, he also said that the government has the right to transfer-posting bureaucrats, so they cannot refuse to obey the unnecessary decrees of the government. Because creamy posting has become a huge weakness. Questions are also arising because RJD leader Lalu Yadav was also among the leaders who reached Bengaluru, who has been convicted in several fodder scam cases and is currently out on bail setting the 2024 election agenda.
It is inconceivable to impose protocol duty in this program – former Additional Chief Secretary
At the same time, M Madan Gopal, a retired Additional Chief Secretary of Karnataka, also cited Rule 5 of the All India Service and said in a tweet, ‘The aim of IAS officers is to be fair and follow constitutional morality and traditions.’ He said, “Even if the state government declared the leaders gathered for the political convention as state guests, it is inconceivable how a sitting officer can be deputed on protocol duty for an event which is a government function.” Not a purely political program.’
