Supension of senior IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, who was locked in a tussle with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, today set off a political storm with the Opposition terming it an "act of revenge" by the ruling party.
"The intention behind the suspension of Thakur appears to be mala fide. This is an act of revenge. Had Thakur done any anti-government act or flouted rules and regulations, he should have been suspended before tape of Mulayam Singh Yadav threatening him came to the fore," Uttar Pradesh Congress president Nirmal Khatri said.
Khatri was referring to an audio tape released by Thakur purportedly containing the voice of the SP chief.
BJP too felt that Thakur's suspension was "unfortunate" and an act of government to put pressure on him.
"It's (suspension) unfortunate. His dharna outside the DGP's office was also taken into consideration for his suspension. Why action was not taken when he sat on dharna," BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak wondered.
Pathak alleged that the SP government liked persons like UP minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati and Noida engineer Yadav Singh, whose name have figured in corruption cases, and disliked officers like Thakur.
Asked to comment on the issue, senior BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya said it was action of an "anarchic government" against an officer of similar tendency.
"Threatening an officer by a leader of Mulayam Singh Yadav's stature is not a dignified act. However, by observing the working style of Thakur it does not appear that he is serious in performing his duties," Maurya said.
"The manner in which Mulayam had acted ignoring democratic dignity, the same way Thakur is infamous for his behaviour," he said.
On action against Thakur, Maurya declined to say anything.
