AAP MLAs 'abrasive' conduct with police, admin officials in Punjab refreshes Delhi memories

Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s face-off with bureaucracy in the initial days of its government in Delhi gets refreshed in Punjab after repeated controversies involving ruling party MLAs' tiff with police and administrative officers. 

The matter had reached a stage where the Punjab Civil Service (PCS) Officers Association, a body representing executive officers of the state, had on Saturday, July 23, announced a protest by wearing black badges in their office on Monday, July 25.

The protest was withdrawn on Sunday evening after AAP Jalandhar (West) MLA Sheetal Angural, whose "unruly" conduct in the local DC office complex forced PCS officers association to announce the protest, changed the track. He regretted the incident and said he had "full confidence" on the officers working. 

AAP Jalandhar (West) MLA Sheetal Angural, whose "unruly" conduct in the local DC office complex forced PCS officers association to announce the protest, regretted the incident and said he had "full confidence" on the officers working pic.twitter.com/JzPVU0HKGE

— NewsDrum (@thenewsdrum) July 25, 2022

This nonetheless left a huge question over the working style of AAP MLAs, who won convincingly just four months ago in state assembly polls.

AAP's historic victory in Punjab resonated everywhere since the party won 92 out of 117-seats, the biggest ever mandate to any party in the history of the state's electoral politics. 85 of them were first-time MLAs including chief minister Bhagwant Mann.

The "unbecoming behaviour", a phrase that PCS Officers Association used after AAP Jalandhar West MLA's conduct, reveals a lot more of the ground situation.

Sample this- A video went viral earlier this month of party's Ludhiana South MLA Rajinderpal Kaur Chhina in which she was seen reprimanding an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in full public view for conducting a search operation “in her area without informing her.”

The incident took place in the Shimlapuri area of Ludhiana on July 14, after a team of police led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jyoti Yadav, conducted a search operation under the ongoing state-wide campaign of Punjab Police against gangsters, drug abusers and other criminal elements.

Yadav, as seen in the video, maintained calm and tried to explain to AAP MLA that she led the search operation on the orders of the Ludhiana police commissioner. But MLA Chhina was heard shouting and was repeated asking, "Answer me what I am asking you. If you had the permission to conduct the search in her constituency without informing her."

Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Kaustubh Sharma later told the media said that ACP Yadav flagged the MLA's "misbehaviour" with her. "Police is not supposed to inform any MLA or politician before doing its work. I spoke to the MLA and she said that there was some misunderstanding,” Sharma then added.

It later emerged that MLA Chinna was miffed after getting to know that her party colleague and MLA of her neighbouring Atam Nagar constituency Kulwant Singh Sidhu was present during the operation, whereas she was clueless. Sidhu later also flayed Chinna's misconduct with the officer. 

Now the latest case involving Jalandhar West MLA, Sheetal Angural, was equally dramatic. Angural on Friday, July 22, barged into DC office Jalandhar, pulled up the government officers for their working style and even live-streamed it. 

He then berated the Superintendent level officer and later had an argument with Additional Deputy Commissioner PCS Amit Sareen. In the video, he was seen alleging the bribes taken by touts on behalf of government employees. He also asked for an inquiry into reinstating the immigration consultant firm by ADC Sareen, even as Sareen was heard saying that he did nothing wrong in reinstating the firm's license.

When contacted, Sareen told NewsDrum that MLA's conduct was very abrasive. He immediately enter the DC office and started levelling wrong allegations.

According to him, the inside story was different. "Basically, DC transferred around 20 tainted officials from the tehsildar office. He was putting pressure to reinstate them. His entering the DC office was an excuse or a sort of snub after tainted employees were not reinstated in their old jobs," said Sareen 

He then said, "I believe the matter is sorted out on "a good note". He got a "lesson". He has realised his mistake. He too got instructions from Chief Minister's Office"

Sareen said most of the MLAs in the new government are first-timers. They are not aware of the rules, protocols and procedures to be followed. That is why these conflicts are emerging, which I would say are unfortunate and should not happen.

He said officers and employees are the team of the government and "we should work in a cordial atmosphere." Any good suggestion from MLAs is always paid attention to.

Jalandhar DC Office Employees Association too announced the protest in wake of MLA action. After their meeting with MLA on Sunday, they too had announced to withdraw the protest.