BJP protest for show cause notice to IAS officers

Patna: BJP today protested in the Bihar legislature against the state government for serving show cause notices to several IAS officers who had formed a human chain here against arrest of their colleague Sudhir Kumar in the BSSC examination paper leak case.

Lawmakers of BJP and its NDA allies in the Assembly and Council trooped to the Well at both Houses and shouted slogans against the government for show-causing IAS officers.

"The situation in Bihar at present is akin to that prevailed in the country during Emergency period under Congress rule," Leader of Opposition in the Council Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters.

The notice was meant to insult IAS officers and browbeat them to fall in line particularly after they decided not to entertain unwritten orders from ministers," he said.

"The IAS officers also have right to protest," the senior BJP leader said.
He suggested Chief Minister Nitish Kumar not to adopt confrontationist approach towards IAS officers.

As per reports, the state government yesterday sought explanations from all field officers, particularly DMs, posted outside Patna for coming here on February 27 to form a human chain in front of Raj Bhawan as part of a protest programme of the state chapter of IAS Association.

According to media reports, around 28 DMs had participated in the human chain to protest arrest of Bihar Staff Selection Commission chairman Sudhir Kumar in connection with paper leak in recruitment test of clerical grade staff.

They have been asked to reply if they had taken permission before leaving the district headquarters.

Meanwhile, Treasurer of the state IAS Association Deepak Kumar Singh told PTI that he has come to know about the notices from media reports only.

"We would study the show cause and decide the future course of action," he said.

Central IAS Association has also supported the state unit's protest on arrest of 1987 batch IAS officer Sudhir Kumar.

The Bihar chapter of IAS Association had met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over Sudhir Kumar's arrest and also petitioned Governor Ramnath Kovind and Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.