Saffronizing walls of Haj Office: Yogi govt removes secy minority welfare

Fixing responsibility, the Yogi Adityanath government on Tuesday ordered for the removal of the Secretary Minority Welfare RP Singh following controversy over painting UP State Haj Committee office in saffron colour.

An order to for the removal of Secretary RP Singh was issued by the Principal Secretary Minority Welfare Monica S Garg on Tuesday. Assistant Director Minority Welfare Vineet Srivastava has been given additional charge as Secretary in place of RP Singh. RP Singh had issued the orders for painting walls of the Haj Committee office in saffron colour and when it stirred a controversy he had put the blame on the contractor. Following protests from Musim clerics, the BJP government had ordered an inquiry and get the office repainted in lighter colour. Earlier, the colour of walls was white with green gate.

The government had earlier issued a notice to Singh, seeking an explanation on who ordered its office boundary wall to be painted saffron and why it was subsequently repainted.

UP's minister of state for Muslim Waqf and Haj, Mohsin Raza had earlier directed his department's principal secretary to get a clarification from Singh on the circumstances of the painting and repainting of the wall, which he said were not clear.

Raza said the media has raised a number of queries about the incident. A seven-point notice was issued to the UP Haj Committee's secretary. The notice sought clarifications on the rules under which the maintenance and painting work of Haj Committee office was done. It also sought to know on whose orders the boundary wall was painted for the first time.

"When a saffron coat was already given, then under which circumstances there was a need to change the colour, and on whose orders was the colour changed?" the notice said. "Who is responsible for the second coat of paint, and who will bear the cost for the second coat of paint," it asked. The notice also sought details of the tender floated for the painting and the companies involved.

The minister, in the notice, also sought to know why the UP Haj Committee secretary issued a press release, and on whose orders, regarding the paint job. "Whether any written orders were issued to the contractor? According to the press release, action was to be initiated against the contractor. Hence, what action has been initiated against the contractor," Raza asked in the notice. The minister also sought to know on which date the secretary of Haj Committee inspect the office wall.

With PTI inputs