'Justice will be done': Rajnath Singh seeks report from L-G on Delhi Chief Secretary's assault allegation

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that he was deeply pained after Delhi's top bureaucrat alleged that he was assaulted and abused by two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence. 

Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash made the claim, even as the chief minister's office dismissed the accusation as "bizarre and baseless". The incident reportedly took place last night in the presence of Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, a senior official alleged.

Prakash was called by Kejriwal regarding the issue of advertisements, which were not being released. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed he had been called for a discussion on rations.

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "I am deeply pained by the happenings involving the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government. The civil servants should be allowed to work with dignity and without fear."

The minister also said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a report on the incident from the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. "Justice will be done. A delegation of IAS DANICS & Subordinate Services of Delhi Government met me today and apprised me of the prevailing situation."  he tweeted.

The MHA has sought a report on the incident from the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Justice will be done. A delegation of IAS DANICS & Subordinate Services of Delhi Government met me today and apprised me of the prevailing situation.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 20, 2018

After the incident, the Chief Secretary met Lt Governor Anil Baijal last night and apprised him of the incident.

The IAS officers association also met Baijal and lodged a protest over the issue. 

AAP countered the allegation with a statement that about 2.5 lakh families were deprived of rations last month due to faulty Aadhaar implementation and party MLAs were under tremendous pressure from the public.

"There was a meeting of MLAs at the CM's residence. The CS refused to answer questions, saying that he was not answerable to MLAs and the CM, and that he was answerable only to the LG. He (Prakash) even used bad language against some of the MLAs and left without answering any questions," the party claimed in a statement.

The bureaucracy and the AAP-led Delhi government have long been at loggerheads.

In December 2015, IAS and DANICS officers went on mass leave against the suspension of two special home secretaries by Home Minister Satyendar Jain.