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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday joined issue with Governor T.V. Rajeswar over Thursday’s suspension of two IAS officers and a Provincial Civil Service officer for writing messages in a book Sultanpur — Kal Aur Aaj (Sultanpur — Yesterday and Today).

Faizabad Divisional Commissioner L. Venkateshwarlu, Sultanpur District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar and the then Chief Development Officer of Sultanpur Ishtdev Prasad Rai were placed under suspension for writing messages in the book which eulogised the contribution of the Gandhi family and the Congress to the development of the district.

Pramod Kumar Singh, then Assistant Director, Information, was also placed under suspension.

The book has been authored by Srikant Srivastava, Regional Publicity Officer of the Government of India.

Mr. Rajeswar on Friday shot off a letter to the Chief Minister demanding an explanation on the causes that led to the suspensions.

At a press conference here, Ms. Mayawati made known her displeasure over the Governor “going to the press” to reveal the contents of his letter. She said she also decided to inform the press of her reply to him. The Chief Minister said in her letter that there would have been no misgivings had the Governor talked to her before sending his letter.

Defending the government’s decision, Ms. Mayawati said the suspended officers not only wrote messages but were also involved in the publication of the book.

Referring to the praise showered on her government in the amended version, Ms. Mayawati said it was also inappropriate for the officers to extol the contribution of the present regime.

She said the officers flouted conduct rules. The disciplinary action was not born of political considerations. She denied they were punished for the references made to the Gandhi family in the book.

News Source : Samachar