Sanjeev Ahluwalia's argument in his article "Protecting babus from politicians" (November 5) is strange and unacceptable. Bureaucrats are, of course, meant to work objectively with the elected government but they also need to pledge their allegiance to the rule book and public interest. All this has gone wrong because politicians take bureaucrats not as public servants but as their private servants who must serve their interests and overlook public welfare. Bureaucrats who don't fall in line with the politicians are victimised by transfers, suspensions, and improper postings. Two such cases of political victimisation are those of Ashok Khemka and Durga Shakti Nagpal. Khemka was unceremoniously transferred by the Congress regime in Haryana for scrutinising Robert Vadra's land deals. Nagpal was suspended for taking on the sand mafia in Noida that had close links with leaders of the Samajwadi Party. Judicial intervention strengthens democracy, and is always welcome. The Supreme Court direction will shield honest bureaucrats from high-handed politicians and give them a free hand to discharge their duties sincerely.
M C Joshi Lucknow
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