IAS officer transferred for critisizing Congress leaders

BHOPAL: An IAS officer who allegedly made controversial remarks against Congress leaders on WhatsApp, during the farmer stir in Madhya Pradesh was transferred on Thursday. The state government issued an order transferring Lokesh Kumar Ramchandra Jangid, posted as sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) at Vijaypur, Sheopur district, to the state secretariat, where he will serve as an under-secretary.

The 2014-batch IAS officer allegedly termed Congress-organised protests, especially the satyagraha by its Lok Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, over farmers’ deaths in Mandsaur early this month, as ‘nautanki’ (drama) on a WhatsApp group which contains several politicians, reported BS.

He also wrote that Congress leaders are now running away after the agitation, pointing at FIR against MLA Shakuntala Khatik. Jangid also mentioned Rahul Gandhi and wrote–‘Rahul baba abhi nanihal mein hain’. The posts were made in response to a Congress leader’s comments.

Congress MLA Ramnivas Rawat, who had made the complaint against Jangid to the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary, said the officer had violated the code of conduct meant for bureaucrats. “There is a code of conduct for civil servants and they should abide by it and work under norms set for them,” Rawat told PTI.

However, government officials termed Jangid’s transfer as a routine administrative matter.