Guarantee IAS Officers Their Safety, Says Arvind Kejriwal In Appeal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday gave a public assurance to IAS officers about their safety and security -- in writing, on Twitter. Calling the officers his "family", he urged them to stop "their boycott of elected government and return to work". Mr Kejriwal reached out to the bureaucrats after the IAS officer's Association expressed their concerns in a rare press conference. The officers are yet to respond to the message.

At the press conference, the officers claimed that were not on strike and skip only the meetings where they felt their "safety" and "self-respect" were at risk. They also said they were being "victimised" in a political battle when they owed allegiance not to any political party but "to the law and the Constitution".

Referring to the alleged attack on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash in February, IAS Association secretary Manisha Saxena said afterwards, they have approached all quarters, including the cabinet secretary, the home minister, the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Personnel and Training to request for help in ensuring safety.

 "We have no confidence, no one has reached out to us to boost our confidence," she said.
 The Chief Minister's speedy assurance, however, spelled out his demands.

My appeal to my officers of Delhi govt .... pic.twitter.com/YQ02WgaAtd

- Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 17, 2018

"I would urge them to stop their boycott of elected government, return to work now and start attending all meetings of Ministers, respond to their calls and messages and join them for field inspections. They should work without fear or pressure. They should not come under any pressures from any sources, whether state government or central government or any political party," his message read.

The four-month long face-off with the bureaucrats is the latest flashpoint between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor that has seen Mr Kejriwal and his ministers camping out at a waiting room of Raj Niwas, the official residence of Anil Baijal, for a week.

The protest within has been accompanied by a huge stir outside by Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, fuelled a full-blown demand for statehood for Delhi and provided a rallying point for a huge section of opposition leaders.