New Delhi: After Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal called for Gujarat civil servants to work in tandem with his party ahead of polls, former civil servants including IAS officers and diplomats have written to the Election Commission to derecognise the party under provisions of Order 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
The letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has been undersigned by Karnataka's former Addl Chief Secretary M Madan Gopal, IAS and has a list of 56 more signatures of civils servants as annexure, and delves in detail on why the party should face the Election Commission's action.
“We request the ECI to withdraw the recognition of the AAP as a recognised political party in light of its flagrant violations as under Order 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 as the conduct of the National Convenor of AAP has breached the Model Code of Conduct and is also in grave violation of provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act (RPA), 1951,” the bureaucrats demanded.
The letter alleged Kejriwal of inducing public servants of Gujarat to work in tandem with the AAP to ensure its victory in the State elections. He called upon public servants, including policemen, home guards, aanganwaadi workers, state transport drivers and conductors and polling booth officers, to aid the AAP in the upcoming State elections.
“We totally disapprove of the blatant efforts of AAP to politicize civil servants. We reiterate that civil servants are meant to be non partisan and serve the Government and the people and execute policies adopted by the Parliament and the executive,” the letter said. Kejriwal's “work for the AAP” call ignores that civil servants are bound by the Code of Conduct and relegates civil servants to being employees of political parties in power, when he addressed a press meet on September 3 in Rajkot.
“The responsibility of civil servants is to work towards the furtherance of public welfare and security at large. We firmly believe that such instigative comments, coming from the convener of the AAP and a sitting Chief Minister, indisputably diminish public confidence in the institutions and guardians of the State,” it said.
The bureaucrats pointed out that Kejriwal had directly addressed poll booth workers insinuating that they have worked in favour of a political party and then induced them to join hands with AAP. He also appealed to state transport drivers and conductors to persuade each passenger travelling by state transport to vote for the AAP by clicking on the “jhaadu” button. He has also attempted to induce police officers and advised them against following regulations and procedures that have been mandated by the State Government.
They charged Kejriwal of manipulating these public servants through misleading considerations, stating that in exchange for their allegiance. Kejriwal’s appeals subvert electoral democracy and undermine public service which is the backbone of India’s administration and unity in diversity. We hope that the civil servants ignore such blandishments.
The letter said Kejriwal's efforts are “deliberate and calculated appeal made by the AAP with the intention of utilising government machinery for one’s own political victory” and “veiled effort has been made to utilise officers of the state to further the personal electoral prospects of the AAP”.
