IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal (File photograph)
If you don't like an officer, shunt them out - a rising trend that has pitted governments against bureaucrats. The controversial suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal has caused a political storm, but she joins the club of over 200 officers across India suspended over the years on political whims.
Uttar Pradesh tops the list with over 100 suspensions in 20 years, according to data with the IAS Officers' Association.
The state has been widely criticized for the unceremonious suspension of Ms Nagpal, an upright officer who went after the illegal sand mining mafia. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav defended the move, saying: "Any officer who makes a mistake, will be punished, like children are punished in school."
Tellingly, in 100 out of 105 suspensions in Uttar Pradesh, no action was finally taken as there was no real evidence of the officer's wrongdoing.
60% of the officers were suspended in the previous BSP regime of Mayawati, while 35% have been suspended by the Samajwadi Party government.
"The civil services are meant to be public service, but it has become more like private service now," said a member of the IAS Officers' Association. "Are we political slaves?"
28-year-old Durga Shakti Nagpal was removed hours after she ordered villagers at Kadalpur in Greater Noida to pull down a wall of a mosque complex being built on government land.
She was following Supreme Court orders, but the state government's chargesheet accused her of showing poor administrative acumen and lack of foresight, by risking communal riots in the holy month of Ramzan.
"Frequent suspensions and transfers have a very demoralizing effect on civil servants. A minimum tenure should be ensured so that they can efficiently and fearlessly do their job," said Sanjay Dhoosreddy, the secretary of the IAS Officers' association.