Narendra Modi "sounds" PK Misra, his principal secretary during 2002 riots, for a plum Delhi posting

Dr PK Misra

By Our Representative
Dr PK Misra, controversial principal secretary of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi during the 2002 riots, is learnt to have been told that he should join the new team under Modi’s stewardship immediately after the new BJP-led government takes over in Delhi following the Lok Sabha poll results on May 16. A top Gujarat government bureaucrat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Counterview that Dr Misra has been telling his IAS colleagues in Gandhinagar Sachivalaya that he has been “sounded about this by Modi personally".
“Dr Misra is not saying which post he will occupy under Modi, but in all probability will be Prime Minister Modi’s principal secretary”, the official said, adding, “While there are strong rumours that Modi will take along with him his principal chief secretary K Kailashnanthan, a retired IAS bureaucrat who continues to call the shots in the chief minister’s office, and his additional principal secretary AK Sharma, also an IAS bureaucrat, this may not happen”.
Two major reasons are being given for this. First of all, none of these two have any experience in working in Delhi, and are quite “unfamiliar” with the North Block babudom culture. The second, and more important, is that Modi “needs” a team of babus in Gujarat who could continue informing him back home in Delhi about how things were going in Gandhinagar after he leaves Gujarat. “Modi would not like to lose control over the Gujarat administration, even if he installs his closest ally Anandiben Patel as next chief minister”, the official said.

K Kailashnathan

“By contrast”, this official pointed out, “Dr Misra knows Delhi babudom pretty well. He shifted to Delhi in May 13, 2004, expecting the NDA would return to power. He was tipped to become Union home secretary. However, as this did not happen and NDA was defeated, he had to be satisfied with a posting considered sidelined – member-secretary, National Capital Region Planning Board -- before making his way two years later to the plum post of Union agriculture secretary. He also worked as secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, in Delhi.”
Retired in 2008, Misra was awarded with the powerful post of chairman of the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission -- responsible for fixing power tariffs for different category of power consumers -- for continuing to display his loyalty to Modi. Currently, he serving as director-general of the Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM), and Modi is known to have taken his advice for all major babus’ postings in Gujarat government.
A babu claiming to have academic bent of mind – he has authored a book on agricultural marketing – Misra was in touch with Modi even before the latter took over as Gujarat chief minister in October 2001. A known critic of the then chief minister Keshubhai Patel, as head of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), formed after the January 2001 killer earthquake, it is widely rumoured, he was behind passing on crucial information to Modi on "rampant corruption" under Modi’s predecessor.
During the first days of the anti-Muslim riots, which broke out on February 27-28, 2002, Misra doggedly followed all instructions of Modi, going so far as to stiffly deny, talking with newspersons, the gruesome murder of ex-Congress MP Ehsan Jafri during the infamous attack on Gulbarg Society incident. "You can quote me, nothing of the sort has happened, the situation in Ahmedabad is absolutely normal”, he was quoted as telling a scribe.
There have been allegations that Misra was present in a crucial meeting in Gandhinagar on February 27, where Modi directed cops and officials to go soft on rioters. A former Gujarat Cabinet minister, Jaspal Singh, in a letter has to the special investigation team (SIT) urged the top body appointed by the Supreme Court to examine Modi’s role in riots, to interrogate Misra, as he was one of those who attended the crucial meeting.

Haren Pandya

Reports say, “written records” suggest Misra instructed the director-general of state intelligence to track Haren Pandya’s movements in 2002, around the time when Pandya deposed before the independent citizens’ tribunal under Justice VR Krishna Iyer. Pandya was murdered in mysterious circumstances in March 2003. According to these reports, an intelligence noting in a police register, dated June 7, 2002, reads: “Dr PK Misra added that Shri Harenbhai Pandya, minister for revenue is suspected to be the minister involved in the matter. Thereafter, he gave one mobile number and asked for getting call details.”
Five days later, on June 12, 2002, there was reportedly another entry in the register: “Informed Dr PK Misra that the minister who is suspected to have met the private inquiry commission (Justice VR Krishna Iyer) is known to be Mr Haren Pandya. I also informed that the matter cannot be given in writing as this issue is quite sensitive and not connected with the charter of duties given to State intelligence Bureau vide Bombay Police Manual.”

Comments

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra* The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Victim of communal violence, Christians in Manipur want Church leadership to speak up

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* The first eleven days of May 2023 have, in many ways, been a defining period of Indian history! Plenty has happened in a rapid-fire stream of events. Ironically, each one of them are indicators of how crimes and the criminalisation of society has become the ‘new norm’; these include, the May Day rallies with a focus on the four labour codes which are patently against the rights of workers; the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report on 1 May stating that conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen in 2022”; the continued protest by the Indian women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for the expulsion of the chief of the Indian Wrestlers Federation on very serious allegations; the Elections in Karnataka on 10 May (with communalism and corruption as the mainstay); the release of the fake, derogative and insensitive film ‘The Kerala Story’; the release of World Free Press Index on 3 May which places India

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas* In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam* The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

Polygamy in India "down" in 45 yrs: Muslims' from 5.7 to 2.55%, Hindus' 5.8 to 1.77%, "common" in SCs, STs

By Rajiv Shah Amidst All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) justifying polygamy, saying it “meets social and moral needs and the provision for it stems from concern and sympathy for women”, facts suggest the the practice is down from 5.7 per cent of Muslim families in 1961 to 2.55 per cent in 2006.

India joining US sponsored trade pillar to hurt Indian farmers, 'promote' GM seeds, food

Counterview Desk As many as 32 civil society organisations (CSOs), in a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and India joining the trade pillar, have said that its provisions will allow the US to ensure a more favourable regulatory regime “for enhancing its exports of genetically modified (GM) seeds and GM food”, underlining, it will “significantly hurt the livelihoods of Indian farmers.”

Modi govt 'wholly untrustworthy' on Covid data, censored criticism on pandemic: Lancet

By Rajiv Shah* One of the world’s most prestigious health journals, brought out from England, has sharply criticised the Narendra Modi government for being “wholly untrustworthy on Covid-19 health data”, stating, the “official government figures place deaths at more than 530 000, while WHO excess death estimates for 2020 and 2021 are near 4·7 million.”

Search This Blog