New Delhi: The Delhi government Saturday suspended a senior officer, hours after the Sikkim government objected to an advertisement by the former which incorrectly referred to the people of Sikkim as a separate category from Indian citizens.
Sources told ThePrint that senior staff officer (publication and coordination) Rahul Sudan, in the Directorate of Civil Defence (headquarters), was suspended on the orders of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal late in the evening. The officer was posted under the assistant director general (civil defence) in Delhi.
Without naming the officer, the LG’s office confirmed the suspension order with immediate effect.
In a couple of tweets, Baijal said the advertisement “disrespects the territorial integrity”, adding that there is “zero tolerance for such gross misconduct”.
A senior officer of Directorate of Civil Defence (HQ) has been suspended with immediate effect for publishing an Advertisement which disrespects the territorial integrity of India by making incorrect reference to Sikkim on the same lines as some neighbouring countries.
— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) May 23, 2020
Minutes later, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the ad has been withdrawn, adding that “Sikkim is an integral part of India”.
Sikkim is an integral part of India. Such errors also cannot be tolerated. Advertisement has been withdrawn and action taken against the officer concerned. https://t.co/BgTcjJF4MF
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 23, 2020
Sikkim letter
The action came after Sikkim called the advertisement “immensely hurtful” and “offensive”.
In a letter to Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev, his Sikkim counterpart S.C. Gupta said, “In the recent newspaper advertisement of Delhi Government for enrolment of volunteers for Civil Defence Corps, Sikkim has been clubbed with Bhutan and Nepal as a separate country.
“This is immensely hurtful to the people of Sikkim who take pride in being citizens of our great country, ever since it became the 22nd state of the Indian Union on 16th May, 1975,” the letter added.
“I would request you to immediately withdraw the offensive advertisement and issue a suitable communiqué to assuage the feelings of the people of Sikkim,” Gupta said.
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‘Insensitivity’
In the advertisement for recruitment of volunteers for the Civil Defence Corps, which appeared in newspapers Saturday, the eligibility criteria said a “Citizen of India or a subject of Sikkim or of Bhutan or of Nepal and a resident of Delhi” would be eligible to apply for the post.
This led to a flurry of reactions on social media, criticising the Delhi government for its “insensitivity”.
Delhi's AAP govt's ad refers to Sikkim as separate nation.
Ironically, AAP defends it by referring to notification of MHA's civil defence regulation dated 30/03/1973 which refers to Sikkim as seperate nation.
These people don't even know that Sikkim became India's part in 1975.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) May 23, 2020
The issue also sparked off political attacks on the Arvind Kejriwal government by the BJP, with the party’s national information in-charge Amit Malviya tweeting, “Arvind Kejriwal should apologise to people of North East, living in Delhi, who are proud Indians, for this insensitivity.”
Sikkim slams Delhi government for referring to the state as a separate nation…
Asks to withdraw the offensive ad and apologise to assuage hurt sentiments.
Arvind Kejriwal should apologise to people of North East, living in Delhi, who are proud Indians, for this insensitivity. pic.twitter.com/c9DKJY8Hxd
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 23, 2020
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