'Assume you would ensure our safety': Delhi Chief Secretary writes to CM Kejriwal ahead of Cabinet meeting

After a week of boycott by Delhi babus over the alleged assault on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs, the top bureaucrat today said they would attend a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday under the assumption that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would ensure their safety. 

The Chief Secretary said he and other officers would attend the meeting on upcoming Budget Session on the "assumption that the CM will ensure that three is no physical attack and verbal assault on the officers." 

Prakash was allegedly assaulted by some AAP MLAs in front of Kejriwal and his deputy Sisodia at the chief minister's residence on the intervening night of February 19-20. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has dismissed the accusation.

Since the alleged attack on the chief secretary, officers have not been attending meetings of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues, demanding that Kejriwal apologise for the incident. 

In a letter to Kejriwal on Tuesday, Prakash wrote, "A meeting of the Council of Minister has been scheduled today (27.02.2018) at 3:00 pm to discuss important matter of finalisation of dates for the Budget Session of Delhi Legislative Assembly."

"The Delhi government employees are working with full vigour and want that normal functioning of the government should not suffer, Since finalising dates of the Budget Session and passing of the Budget are important for functioning of the Government, I, along with my concerned colleague officers, will be attending the said meeting," he said. 

"However, this is based on the assumption that the CM will ensure that three is no physical attack and verbal assault on the officers. It is also hoped that in the said meeting, proper decorum will be maintained and dignity of the officers will be protected," he said. 

This comes a day after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia urged Lt Governor Anil Baijal to order bureaucrats to resume work.

In his letter to Baijal, the deputy chief minister mentioned two meetings called by him but were skipped by senior officers of the departments concerned.

On Friday, Kejriwal, along with his cabinet colleagues, had met the L-G who, according to the government, had assured them that he would ensure that officers start functioning normally.

The officers, including those from IAS and DANICS, on Monday, said they would continue to communicate with ministers only in writing until Kejriwal and Sisodia give a public apology over the alleged assault on the Chief Secretary.

(With PTI inputs)