Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who has alleged that he is being persecuted for taking on Robert Vadra
IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who has alleged that he is being persecuted for challenging land deals involving Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, has been asked to shift again.
Two days ago, the Congress government in Haryana announced that another bureaucrat will be Director General, Archives Department, a post that Mr Khemka was assigned to in April this year. The move in April was the 44th transfer of Mr Khemka's 22-year career in the Indian Administrative Service.
The state government says that this time it is not a transfer and that he is being temporarily removed so that he can be deputed, along with seven other officials, to help with election arrangements in other states. Meanwhile, it says, their duties are being assigned to other officers as additional charge only for that period.
"Khemka would have been transferred only if he went on election duty. Since he has not been called by the Election Commission yet, there is no transfer," the state's Chief Secretary RK Chaudhary said in a statement, trying to stem another growing controversy.
The IAS officer has however shot off a letter to the state's chief secretary complaining that he was suddenly moved out of his post and while he was on leave. He has also pointed out that he has not been assigned election duties yet.
"There will be a break in my service. It is more sinister than a transfer order," Mr Khemka told NDTV. He said he was ready to do election duty, "Please issue an appointment letter and I'll go tonight."
Union Minister Manish Tewari has defended the Hooda government, saying, "Poll duty is assigned by the Election Commission, not the central government or any state government."
The state government headed by Bhupinder Hooda has repeatedly rejected Mr Khemka's allegation that Robert Vadra was given sweetheart land deals in the state, which allowed him windfall gain.
In 2012, while Mr Khemka was the top man in the department that handles land registration, he cancelled a deal between Mr Vadra and real estate major DLF, a decision which triggered the first of two transfers since then.
Mr Khemka had recently written to the Haryana government alleging that he was being targeted for taking on Robert Vadra.