Calls for Central Intervention, Claims Resolution Undermines Executive Authority

S Gopal Puri
Shimla:
The ongoing conflict involving Himachal Pradesh's Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh and the state's police leadership has now escalated to the Union Home Ministry. A local citizen has accused the Himachal IPS Association of 'institutional insubordination' and is demanding firm action to maintain civilian authority.

In a pointed complaint directed at the Home Ministry, Captain Atul Sharma has criticized a resolution passed by the IPS Association on January 14, labeling it a 'serious violation of service discipline and a direct affront to the authority of a democratically elected government.'

Sharma has urged the Central Government to view this situation as more than just an internal dispute, highlighting its broader constitutional and administrative significance.

He contends that the association's demand for the state government to refrain from assigning any IPS officer to a serving cabinet minister represents an overreach by a uniformed service attempting to dictate terms to political leaders. This raises critical governance questions about whether the state is governed by the elected cabinet or by service associations acting in unison.

In his correspondence, Sharma emphasized that officers of the All India Services pledge allegiance to the Constitution rather than any association. He argued that citing 'institutional hurt' as a reason for refusing to perform official duties constitutes administrative pressure that borders on indiscipline. He referenced legal restrictions on police associations, asserting that collective actions that disrupt executive functions violate service conduct rules and the essence of constitutional governance.

The complainant has requested that show-cause notices be issued to the association's leaders, that any record of 'gross indiscipline' be formally documented in the service records of those who supported the resolution, and that the Centre clearly affirm that civil authority must take precedence over uniformed services.

In its January 14 resolution, the IPS Association expressed 'deep anguish and serious concern' regarding the minister's public comments, which they claimed created an unnecessary divide between Himachali and non-Himachali officers. They stressed that the All India Services serve as a constitutional framework to foster national unity and impartial governance, asserting that questioning officers' motives based on their origin is both factually incorrect and demoralizing.

The resolution cautioned that such remarks could harm morale, diminish trust within the police force, weaken institutional unity, and negatively impact governance. While reaffirming their commitment to serve the people of Himachal Pradesh with 'full dedication, integrity, and constitutional loyalty,' the association urged the government to avoid posting any IPS officer with the minister and to prevent similar statements in the future.