Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari also accused the CM and his party of having an “anti-woman mindset”, and that they were harassing bureaucrats for speaking out against corruption in the Delhi government. (File photo)
A day after the confrontation between Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot and Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi, the latter took to Twitter — posting over 70 tweets — detailing the department’s work against corruption, while AAP struck out at officers for “shielding corruption”.
The flare-up has it roots in a meeting on August 4, when the department replied in the negative to a question on whether Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal found irregularities during the inspection at the Burari transport authority office last month, said sources. Gahlot, sources added, refused to accept the answer.
“The minister sought to know if the response was as per facts. Joshi said she cannot state otherwise, as there was no evidence of corruption. Then the minister allegedly asked Joshi to be in her limits,” an official said, on condition of anonymity.
Since Sunday morning, Joshi has taken to Twitter with over 70 tweets, detailing the departments achievements and steps taken to weed out corruption.
She wrote, “The idea of a transport commissioner, any transport commissioner protecting touts is beyond laughable”, and that “the fight against corruption, small scale or big scale, is always a work in progress.”
She further wrote, “We have also developed an app called Delhi transport app, available on iOS and Android, which bundles in one place all transport services and information, including sample questions for LLs…We have been requesting time from Hon’ble CM for the last several months to launch this app formally, hope he gives us time soon, it will give the app the publicity it needs.”
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj struck out Joshi, asking why she was “protecting corruption at Burari”, and at the BJP for “patronising corruption”. He claimed that if “touts” were roaming around in the transport authority in full view, it suggested a “clear nexus”.
“When the CM, along with transport commissioner, visited Burari Authority, people openly complained about corruption. The CM even issued a memo to the officers concerned,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, the apex organisation of IAS officers “condemned” Gahlot’s “misbehaviour”. “This kind of misbehaviour with officials is just not acceptable. Strongly condemned,” the IAS (Central) Association tweeted. The IAS-AGMUT Association also alleged that threats to the integrity and dignity of officers continued “unabated”.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari also accused the CM and his party of having an “anti-woman mindset”, and that they were harassing bureaucrats for speaking out against corruption in the Delhi government.
(With PTI inputs)