After Controversial Statement, Uma Bharti To Campaign for Bureaucracy

Days after her controversial statement about the country’s bureaucrats, there’s no stopping BJP leader Uma Bharti. She first answered Digvijay Singh’s questions in a letter and apologised for the language she used. The former MP chief minister has now tweeted that she will campaign for better bureaucracy just as she did for the prohibition of liquor in Madhya Pradesh.

In a series of tweets, Uma said: “I had announced the start of the liquor ban campaign after January 15, 2022, in a press conference held at my residence on September 8, 2021. After that, I was apprehensive of something happening to curb the issue and it turned into reality.”

The senior BJP leader added, “I will not allow public attention to be diverted from my ultimate goal of prohibition of liquor in Madhya Pradesh. That’s why I expressed my displeasure by accepting the use of vulgar language. I don’t even let anyone touch my feet, so how can I ask someone to carry my slippers?”

“But the discussion has diverted to bureaucracy, which can be useful for the young men and women joining the administrative service. So now I will take this debate forward,” she added.

In another tweet about bureaucracy, Uma wrote: “Sometimes things are dangerous for democracy because officers in administrative service have to be bound by the rules. The policies of those who have come to power after winning the elections have to be implemented but the officer should not have to become a worker of the ruling party,” she said, adding that the decision has to be taken by the bureaucrats as they are the officers, employees and servants of the public.

The former union minister wrote in her tweet appealing to all the old and new bureaucrats of the country, “You have got to this place by the grace of your ancestors, parents and God. Always stay away from the nexus of corrupt officials and ruling leaders. You are an officer, employee of the government. There are no servants of any political party. For the development of the country and healthy democracy and to reach out to the poor man, you are serving at this position.”

Uma Bharti also remembered the incident when she witnessed an IAS officer holding peekdaan of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Yadav. Uma said, “In the year 2000 when I was serving as tourism minister, I went from Patna to Bodh Gaya by helicopter with the Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her husband Lalu Yadav.”

Uma Bharti also shared her experiences with bureaucracy. She remembered the time of Sunder Lal Patwa’s government in MP when she was MP from Khajuraho. She said, “Even after my denial, the Collector, SP used to come to my house only. After the Ayodhya incident, President rule was imposed in Madhya Pradesh.”