UP IPS officer seeks post-retirement job from Yogi

On the verge of retirement, senior Uttar Pradesh IPS officer Surya Kumar Shukla, who had hit the headlines a few months back for taking a pledge to build Ram temple at Ayodhya, has sought a post-retirement job from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In return, he has offered to campaign for the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

In a letter to Adityanath on his official letter head, Shukla, who would be retiring as Director-General, Homeguards, heaped praise on the former and said that he was ''greatly impressed'' by his (Adityanath) work and wanted to be a part of the same.

The IPS officer, in his letter, listed four posts in various government bodies, which were lying vacant, and requested the chief minister to accommodate him in any one of them saying that the post-retirement job would put him in a better position to take part in the campaigning.

Shukla has cited his ''impeccable'' service record to stake claim for the plum posts that he has sought.

''The job (after retirement) will authorise me to stay at government guest houses and, thus, I will be able to serve you (Adityanath) better,'' he said in the letter.

'No wrong'

The IPS officer, on being questioned, evaded a direct reply but said that there was nothing ''wrong'' in seeking a post-retirement job from the government.

The letter, which was written last month but leaked on Monday, triggered a huge controversy and evoked a sharp reaction from the Opposition parties.

Samajwadi Party (SP) has demanded action against the IPS officer saying that he has violated the service rules.