The Hindu : National : Letter is not with me: Bhardwaj

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Tuesday, May 10, 2005

National

National

Letter is not with me: Bhardwaj

`Not proper for civil servant to criticise constitutional authority'

NEW DELHI: Union Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj on Monday criticised senior IAS officer L.V. Saptarishi for making disparaging comments against the Election Commission. He said it was for the Ministry concerned to examine whether disciplinary action was called for against him.

Asked about Mr. Saptarishi's letter to him, he said: "I have no such letter. I cannot tell you if there is any other Minister under whom he is working and he has that letter. He can certainly call for his [the bureaucrat's] explanation."

Indicating that the official might have breached discipline by criticising the Commission, he said: "It is not proper for a civil servant to criticise any constitutional authority. They come under certain discipline and they should adhere to that."

Mr. Bhardwaj's comment contradicts his Cabinet colleague and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's stand that the Election Commissioners must resign.

Mr. Saptarishi, who is nearing retirement, claimed that he had written a letter to Mr. Bhardwaj alleging that the repoll in Chapra constituency, from where Mr. Prasad was elected, was ordered last year at the behest of BJP leaders.

He is the Director-General of the Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology, which comes under the Rural Development Ministry headed by RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

PTI

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