Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti on Saturday launched a frontal attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) Government over Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Durga Shakti Nagpal's suspension, and said that there are five chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh.
Bharti said that her party always backs honest officers like Nagpal, and added that the entire country should stand out in her support.
"There are five chief ministers in Uttar Pradesh. There is collective chief ministership here. It doesn't appear as if a single individual in running the government," Bharti told media here.
"Mulayam Singhji is the super chief minister, Azam Khan is super super chief minister, Shivpalji (Shivpal Yadav) is the chief minister, Dimple Yadav is also the chief minister and somewhere down the hierarchy is Akhilesh Yadav who is the chief minister. So, who takes a decision and on whose behest is a matter of concern," she added.
Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who is Uttar Pradesh's Urban Development Minister, yesterday accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi of extending support to the suspended IAS officer for political benefits.
"Has her (Gandhi's) stature reduced to this level that she has started writing for a SDM rank official?" said Khan, while commenting on the letter written by Gandhi as chairperson of National Advisory Council to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh seeking that Nagpal is not unfairly treated.
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"In view of 2014 Lok Sabha polls, this SDM will be posted somewhere and she (Durga) will get 10 fake votes in favour of Congress," he added.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had earlier this week said he regretted having posted the suspended IAS official to a prime district like Noida, but he defended her suspension.
In an interview to Wall Street Journal, Akhilesh Yadav said earlier on Wednesday that it was at the request of Nagpal's husband, who is also an IAS official, that she was posted in Greater Noida.
Defending the action of his government to suspend Durga Nagpal, Akhilesh Yadav said that he has never interfered in the working of the official.
Sonia Gandhi had written a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on August 3, and urged him to intervene into the IAS officer's suspension order.
The Prime Minister on August 6 said rules laid down would be followed in the case.
"There are rules laid down and the rules will be followed. And we are in touch with the state government to find out the full details of the case," Dr. Singh said.
Though the Uttar Pradesh Government has called it as an 'administrative decision' against her for demolishing a wall which was part of an intended mosque, but many believe that it was the result of pressure from the mining mafia.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to quash the order of suspension of Nagpal and the chargesheet filed against her.
A copy of the chargesheet along with a report has been sent to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) at the Centre.
The Samajwadi Party Government's 10-page chargesheet accuses Nagpal of violating norms while ordering the demolition of the wall of a mosque built illegally on government land at Gautam Buddh Nagar in Greater Noida.