Naidu comes under fire from veteran bureaucrats

His uncharitable remarks against the ‘make-shift’ chief secretary, L V Subramaniam, appointed by the Election Commission, has led to banner of revolt against AP Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who is known as ‘good’ and ‘able’ administrator.

Dozens of former senior bureaucrats who served him as Chief Secretaries as well played major role to ensure good name to Naidu in his nine-year tenure as undivided Andhra Pradesh, blamed his outbursts against their colleague  L V Subramaniam.

In a fit of anger, Naidu, who was unable to stomach the insults heaped on him by the Election Commission, first over shifting of the Intelligence Chief and two SPs and later his Chief Secretary Punetha, he wondered how can be a co-accused in EMMAR be made the chief secretary.  In fact, L V Subramaniam was acquitted in that case by the state high court.

He did not stop there, he also questioned Subramaniam’s surprise visit to the DGP’s office later after polls.

These remarks of the Naidu drawn flak from the senior bureaucrats, who felt it was unbecoming of a Chief Minister to cast aspersions against an upright IAS officer like Subramaniam.  Interestingly, Subramaniam held key positions in Naidu’s tenure.

First to react was former Chief Secretary Mohan Kanda, an upright officer, who came to Subramaniam rescue by finding fault with Naidu’s uncharitable remarks.  “Sad to see the Chief Minister making such baseless allegations against without checking facts against the officer, who was acquitted in the case,” he said.  He admitted that quite often upright officers get caught in political cross fire and some time they also be dragged to courts.  But, ultimately truth stands out and it would unfair for anyone to accuse a person who was acquitted by none other than the judiciary.

“In all fairness, Naidu should tender unconditional apology to Subramaniam, which would only enhance his statesmanlike leader qualities,” Mohan Kanda felt.  Condemnations of Naidu’s remarks had also come through media from several retired bureaucrats, who held high positions during NTR and Naidu tenure as CM of undivided AP are; Sripada Bhale Rao, K V Rao, T S Appa Rao, A K Parida, S K Sinha, Satish Chandra Bhattacharya, Vidya Sagar, M G Gopal, CVSK Sarma, Vinod K Aggarwal, Jatish Chandra Mohanty, Dr Vijay Kumar, and IYR Krishna Rao, who served Naidu not so long ago as CS.  They all joined to demand Naidu to tender unconditional apology to the L V Subramaniam.

Meanwhile, another retired bureaucrat EAS Sarma dashed off a letter to the Election Commission to initiative appropriate action against Naidu under Art 324, as it enjoys absolute power legally to act against erring people.