Two UP officials reshuffled over letter controversy

Uttar Pradesh home secretary Sarvesh Kumar Misra was tonight shunted out and another official suspended in wake of a controversial letter convening a meeting to discuss the "reconstruction of Ram temple in Ayodhya on the lines of Somnath temple."
Misra has been transferred and put on the waiting list, a spokesman of the department quoting Principal Secretary (Home) R M Srivastava said.
Section officer of the home department Prem Kumar Pandey has been placed under suspension, the spokesman added.
Earlier today, a controversy had erupted over a communique by UP home secretary convening a meeting to discuss the "reconstruction of Ram temple in Ayodhya on the lines of Somnath temple", with a red-faced Samajwadi Party government calling it an "error" and promising action against the guilty

Principal Secretary (Home) R M Srivastava had to apologise for the "error" and take responsibility for the folly of "junior level" officials.
"There are errors in the letter issued on October 9 by the department for convening the meeting and parts of intelligence input on the VHP sponsored Sankalp Diwas on October 18, which should not have been made public, got mentioned in it," Srivastava said at a press meet here.
"The language used in the letter is not correct," he said, adding an inquiry would be conducted and action would be taken against those responsible.