Ensure Durga Shakti is not unfairly treated: Sonia Gandhi to Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: The suspension of a UP IAS woman officer, who took on the powerful sand mafia, kicked up a political storm today with Sonia Gandhi coming out in her support, saying she should not be penalised for standing up against "vested interests", evoking a sharp retort from Mulayam Singh Yadav's ruling Samajwadi Party.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Gandhi said there is widespread concern that the suspended officer Durga Shakti Nagpal in the course of her public duties was seen to be standing up against vested interests engaging in illegal activity.

It is reported that Nagpal has been hastily suspended for unsubstantiated reasons, she said.

"We must ensure that the officer is not unfairly treated," she told the Prime Minister. Nagpal had shot into limelight by acting against the sand mafia in the state.

Reacting sharply, SP leader Naresh Aggarwal, said Gandhi should write two more letters to the Prime Minister about her son-in-law Robert Vadra's land deals in Haryana and Rajasthan.

"Gandhi should write two more letters, one about the Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka who was suspended by the Chief Minister and another to the Rajasthan CM for suspending two IAS officers. In both the cases, the name of Robert Vadra, cropped up. These cases were related to land deals. So, she should write two more letters to PM so that justice is done in all these cases," he said.

Khemka had hit the spotlight alleging irregularities in Vadra's land deals in Haryana, a charge denied by the state government.

In the letter written by her as chairperson of National Advisory Council (NAC), Gandhi asked Singh to focus on such issues as highlighted by the present case and if there was need for bringing in more measures to protect government servants while upholding the

A 2010 batch IAS officer, 28-year-old Nagpal was suspended on July 27 as Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar district, for allegedly ordering demolition of a wall of a mosque on the ground that it could have triggered communal tension.

Nagpal, whose cadre was changed to Uttar Pradesh from Punjab in August last year, is attached to the Board of Revenue in Lucknow.

Following is the text of of the letter dated Aug 2 written by Gandhi as Chairperson, National Advisory Council:

Dear Prime Minister, It is reported that Ms Durga Shakti Nagpal, a young IAS officer of UP has been hastily suspended for unsubstantiated reasons. There is widespread concern because the officer, in the course of her public duty, was seen to be standing upto vested interests engaging in illegal activity.

We must ensure that the officer is not unfairly treated. At the same time, this particular instance has highligted the need to assess whether there are adequate safeguards in place to protect executive functionaries working beyond the average call of duty to uphold the law.

The implementation machinery must feel that the conditions are conducive to the delivery of public services without fear or favour. I know that some good beginnings have been made towards administrative reforms, but the issues that have come to be profiled in Ms Nagpal's case also need focus.

With regards, Yours sincerely, Sonia Gandhi.