IAS officers to work, but with black bands

On a busy weekday, work at the Delhi Secretariat came to a halt as all IAS officers responsible for managing administrative work were fighting for their rights, meeting the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the alleged assault on Delhi CS Anshu Prakash.

The building that houses the office of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other departments witnessed heavy police force with most of the IAS officers' rooms lying vacant. Calling it a "planned criminal conspiracy", IAS association secretary Manisha Saxena said that officers would work with a black band as a mark of protest. "We do not want to affect the functioning of Delhi. We have met the LG and put forward our concerns. For the past few years, such things have been happening," she said.

The Delhi government's Welfare Association, that comprises 1,000 employees, has also called for a strike.

"Till action is not taken, we are not going to resume work. Today, we will take out a candle march at Rajghat in protest," DN Singh, president, Delhi Administrative Subordinate Services (DASS). All three associations have decided not to attend any meeting called by Delhi government till CM Kejriwal tenders an apology.