Madhya Pradesh IAS who praised Nehru in a Facebook post transferred

Ajay Singh Gangwar, the 2005 batch promoted IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre and Barwani district collector, who had praised India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in a sarcastic Facebook post early this week, faces the music— yes, he is transferred. After the controversy erupted, the 55-year-old officer was brought back to the secretariat in Bhopal, as deputy secretary, in an order issued on Thursday. In the Hindi Facebook post that went viral in social media, Gangwar questioned:

“Is it his (Nehru's) mistake that he prevented all of us from becoming Hindu Talibani Rashtra in 1947?” The officer further asked whether setting up of IIT, ISRO, BARC, IISB, IIM, BHEL steel plant, dams, thermal power etc. can be called Nehru’s mistake. “He (Nehru) opened universities at the place of Gaushala and temples — this was his mistake. Instead of making you superstitious he showed you scientific way — this was his mistake. For all these mistakes Gandhi family’s apology to the nation becomes mandatory,” Gangwar wrote in his Facebook post which was later removed. Another line that did not go down well with his BJP boss was this: “Is it his (Nehru’s) mistake that he honoured Sarabhai, Homi Jehangir in place of intellectuals like Asaram and Ramdev?"

In fact, had this commentary been written by an independent journalist or a social activist, this would have passed as yet another viewpoint. But the row began as Gangwar is a serving bureaucrat, and that too in a state ruled by the BJP. 

Top bureaucrats in Bhopal examined whether the post was a violation of All India Services (Conduct) Rules, and it was decided to end the matter with his transfer. His transfer order, however, did not mention any reason including his praise for Nehru.