The Congress on Tuesday questioned the Centre over the sudden removal of three officials attached to Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, asserting that the public has the right to know whether any irregularities led to the action.
Congress demands transparency
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the removal of the minister's private secretary along with two other officials was not an ordinary administrative exercise and warranted an explanation from the government.
"The private secretary to Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, along with two other officials - Ayush Sharan and Shailesh Kumar Singh - have been removed with immediate effect. It is not an ordinary matter for the entire staff of a minister to be replaced. What kind of irregularities were taking place? The public has the right to know the truth about any irregularities," she said.
Government orders relief
The Congress remarks came after the government issued separate orders relieving three officers serving in the minister's office with immediate effect. Among those relieved is Amar Singh, a 2010-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who was serving as Bhupendra Yadav's private secretary. According to the order, he has been repatriated to his parent cadre, the Department of Revenue, on "administrative grounds".
Another officer, Shailesh Kumar Singh of the Central Secretariat Service (CSS), who was serving as an additional private secretary to the minister, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), under the provision of "extended cooling off".
Ayush Sharan, who was also serving as an additional private secretary in the minister's office, has likewise been relieved with immediate effect. The official order stated that his appointment has been terminated.
Political implications
Questioning the developments, the Congress said the simultaneous removal of multiple officials from the minister's office raised serious questions and called on the government to disclose the reasons behind the action. The party demanded a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure transparency and accountability.
