HYDERABAD: Former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir of the
Congress on Sunday demanded that the Government of India take action against the
District Collectors
of Siddipet and Kamareddy for allegedly touching the feet of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in public view.
"The Collectors of Siddipet and Kamareddy districts of Telangana, P
Venkatrama Reddy
and A Sharath respectively have violated the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968. Both the District Collectors have touched the feet of the CM in public view during the launch of new integrated district collectorate complexes on June 20, 2021 in their respective districts. They are not only IAS officers but also district magistrates. Their actions have sent the wrong message and set a wrong precedent of bowing down before the CM, who is a political functionary."
Shabbir Ali said in a letter to President of India Ramnath Kovind.
A copy of the letter was also sent to Union Minister of State for Personnel Jithendra Singh.
Shabbir Ali, in his letter said that the Section 3 (ii) of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968 clearly states that every member of the service shall maintain political neutrality. "The actions of both the district collectors clearly exposed that they were not maintaining political neutrality. The CM is also the president of
Telangana Rashtra Samithi, a political party. Therefore, their action of bowing down and touching his feet, has to be viewed that they are inclined towards the ruling party,” Shabbir Ali said.
The Congress leader said the district collectors seemed to have forgotten that as per the Constitution, a district collector is the chief officer of the revenue administration and is responsible for the collection of land revenue, and is also the highest revenue judicial authority in the district. Further, as the district magistrate, he is responsible for law and order and heads the police and prosecuting agency, Shabbir Ali said.
"By touching the feet of the CM in a public function, both the district collectors have insulted the Constitution and behaved like political functionaries," he alleged while requesting the President of India to take note of their behaviour and take necessary action.