Delhi IAS body rebuts AAP's claim of strike by officers

Delhi's IAS association today rebutted the claim of the Aam Aadmi Party that its officers are on a strike and alleged they are being targeted and victimised.

Revenue Secretary Manisha Saxena, along with Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi, South Delhi District Magistrate Amjad Tak and Directorate of Information and Publicity Secretary Jaydev Sarangi held an unusual press conference at the Press Club here and said that the IAS officers in Delhi are "working with utmost sincerity and dedication".

The officers also said that they are apolitical and neutral and their job is to implement the policies of the government.

"We are answerable only to the law and the Constitution," they said.

"We have been targeted and victimised and told that we are working with someone. We would like to inform that we are not on strike," Saxena said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by his deputy Manish Sisodia and ministers Satyendra Jain and Gopal Rai, have stayed put at the Lieutenant Governor's office since Monday, demanding that LG Anil Baijal should direct the IAS officers to end their "strike".

"We all are in our offices doing our work, conducting inspections and everybody is working with utmost sincerity and dedication," Saxena said, adding that the "abnormal situation" forced them to address the press and clarify their stand.

The officers denied the charge that the secretaries in the Delhi government are not answering the phone calls of ministers and MLAs and said that none of the phone calls goes unanswered.

"Delhi has a unique position and it is something on which we have no control. We neither support any political party nor we are against any political party. We work as per law and Constitution," Saxena said.

The officers said that they would not attend those meetings which they feel would be "unsafe".

They were apparently referring to the alleged assault of Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by some AAP MLAs during an official meeting at Kejriwal's residence on the night of February 19.

Saxena also claimed that she had got a threat in the past but did not elaborate.