IAS Association rebuts Kejriwal's claim of strike by officers

Slamming the Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmy Party (AAP) government, the IAS Association on Sunday rebutted the claim that its officers are on a strike for last four months and alleged that the bureaucrats are being used for ‘political reasons’.

Addressing an unusual press conference at the Press Club in the national capital, the association 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".

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

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 were present at the conference.

"We all are in our offices doing our work, conducting inspections and everybody is working with utmost sincerity and dedication," Manisha Saxena said.

Read: LIVE | AAP protest march to PM house stopped midway by Delhi police

"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 stated.

In view of a protest march led by the Kejriwal government to Prime Minister's office on Sunday, the IAS Association has decided to address the media and clear their stand. 

AAP workers and supporters gathered at Mandi House around 4 PM and march to PM Narendra Modi's residence. However, the Delhi police have stopped them midway to keep the situation under control.

Earlier on Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and other cabinet colleagues, including Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai, started a sit-in protest at Lt Governor Anil Baijal's residence demanding an end to the month-long strike by the IAS officers in Delhi.

Read | In meetings, PM Modi neither talks to me nor looks at me, says Kejriwal

The AAP ministers have also alleged that the officers' association is not answering their calls following the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at Kejriwal's residence on February 19.

The officers, however, have denied such allegation and said Saxena earlier had got a threat in the past but did not elaborate.