New Delhi: The IAS officer, suspended by the Election Commission (EC) for checking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chopper in Odisha, has been an ardent critic of the Modi government on social media.
His Twitter account comes with the customary “RTs are not endorsement” disclaimer, but if the content he retweets is anything to go by, the 1996-batch IAS officer is an extremely vocal critic of the government.
Originally from the Karnataka cadre, Mohammed Mohsin was appointed General Observer in Odisha for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. However, he was abruptly suspended by the EC Tuesday for allegedly not following its instructions. The suspension came shortly after Mohsin had inspected Modi’s chopper in Sambalpur, which delayed the Prime Minister by 20 minutes.
On Thursday, amid widespread criticism over Mohsin’s suspension, the EC said it has appointed a senior official to submit a report regarding the suspension.
Mohsin’s suspension has triggered a massive controversy with the Opposition parties such as the Congress hitting out at the EC for suspending an official unceremoniously for checking the PM’s chopper.
Mohsin’s retweets
While most bureaucrats remain extremely cautious to not come across as anti-government on social media, Mohsin’s tweets and retweets have been rather anti-establishment.
In his tweet on 2 March, Mohsin had tweeted a picture of English novelist George Orwell’s famous quote: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
Dear Friends . Do you agree ?? pic.twitter.com/TogUo4KvrY
— Mohammad Mohsin (@mmiask) March 2, 2019
Mohsin also retweeted the Editors Guild of India’s statement, condemning the government’s stand in the Supreme Court in the Rafale case. The government had said that certain documents should not be considered by the top court because they were “stolen” from the Defence ministry and therefore violated the Official Secrets Act.
The Editors Guild of India has issued a statement. pic.twitter.com/zuMotHnXm7
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) March 7, 2019
The bureaucrat had also retweeted a tweet by journalist Sagarika Ghose in which she had shared a news report on BJP leader B.S. Yedyurappa where he said India’s “preemptive” strikes in Pakistan earlier this year created a wave in favour of the PM.
Very serious revelation by Mr @BSYBJP. Was there political design behind sending that hazardous IAF mission over Pak air space? Are politicians playing with the lives of India's bravest for their political gains? What if those pilots had been shot down?https://t.co/b3w0HlIs5G
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) February 28, 2019
Mohsin had also shared a news article on the murder of Kannada scholar M.M. Kalburgi and Bangalore-based journalist Gauri Lankesh.
He had also retweeted a tweet by former Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi in which she had questioned why the government did not airlift CRPF personnel who were eventually attacked in Pulwama.
BJP has spent thousands on publicity&chartered aircrafts
BJP has spent lakhs for its party HQ&offices
BJP has spent crores in its campaign
But when armed forces asked for helicopters to move their stranded men, BJP government turned them down.
Why? The nation seeks answers pic.twitter.com/bPvXrQ0oU0— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) February 17, 2019
Also read: IAS poll observer: With Modi breaking rules, should EC give him special security treatment?
Mohsin’s career as a bureaucrat
A graduate in commerce from Patna University, Mohsin began his career as an IAS officer as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kundapur district of Karnataka.
Since then, Mohsin was posted several times in Karnataka in his 23-year career. He is currently posted as the secretary in the backward class welfare department of Karnataka government.
While the IAS Association has not formally taken a stand on his suspension, the body’s secretary Abhishek Chandra called the incident “unfortunate.”
“We haven’t got a chance to look at the issue properly because everyone is on poll duty right now,” he said. “But the incident is unfortunate.”
Also read: UPSC recruitment has fallen 40% since 2014 while govt struggles to fill IAS-IPS vacancies
Was the search a future linked jihadi plan , was it inspired by isi, or had it originated in pak or a foreign land?
Reason: pm convoy carries this:
– the nuke button,
– the topmost secret files,
– highly classified equipment to protect the z plus category.
it shud be investigated if this ias officer, intention was, upon orders fr from isi/abroad, and did he succeed in getting and passing to isi, the above secrecy’s, topmost secret files which hhhe saw memorised, secret equipment which he learnt, nuke button briefcase detaails which he scanned… is ias officer capable to transfer this in future to isi foreign land ads? need to investigate this highly intelligent attack on pm convoy.
Why family members of an ex-pm/pm cms shoul be provided nsg/security. Once they demit office they are ordinary citizens. Pampering at tax payers’ cost should be avoided
It is not proper to persue your political thoughts while discharging official duty .You are debars from doing so by constitution.
Every govt servant is unrelated to any political parties. In this case it was a biased action anti BJP action condemnable. Just think if every officer starts like this there will be what science. Even EC is related to any political power of time. This is called democracy.
Should the same logic and rules apply to Soniaji, Rahul Gandhi Ji, Prianka Vadra ji and her husband while flying by chopper or at Indian airports. If it is forbidden by EC, why did he do it, what did he prove by doing this? A perverted mindset, influenced by some political ideologies? With 21 years of service, didn’t he know the previleges the PM and other NSG protectee enjoy? Ignorance is not always bliss, but stupidity.
Pray, will someone tell me why the PM’s chopper should not be checked?
Social media has become prominent much after the Conduct Rules were framed. Civil servants in service are not permitted to criticise the government or its policies. That is as it should be. It may be helpful for the government to frame suitable guidelines, a simple list of Dos and Don’ts that avoid a situation in which mandarins do not cross the line. The converse is also true. There are serving bureaucrats who post in favour of the government in a spirit of partisanship that should invite censure, if not disciplinary action.
When it is a cultural aspect to act in haste and without thought, to leisurely savour the dire consequences; no one should come to the defence of such idiots.. There were strict order and this fellows actions delayed the PM of the Country by 20 minutes. The Prestitues would have been crying from rooftops if it had been someone from Naamdhar or lutyens anti-country brigade. This chap epitomizes the culture of idiocity and extreme perversion. EC had in fact issued circulars twice on guidelines of checking. Ignoring those shows a biased mindset that is steeped in eternal fight …like the barbarians who invaded us earlier
As per regulation, is it permitted to check PM’s helicopter? Isn’t it a fact that VVIPs like Rahul and Sonia G, who are not constitutional appointees, are also not checked? So much so Ms Priyanka Vadra and Mr Robert Vadra are not frisked during flying. On whose authority, did the officer decided to search helicopter of elected prime Minister of India? By the way, he was not stopped, but he was suspended after a complaint was lodged. No matter whatever be the political inclination, should a bureaucrat not function. Without fear or favor and follow the rule book?