IAS prevented
IAS officers (left) along with other officials who were allegedly prevented by protestors (right) from entering inside the Republic Day celebration venue on Sunday. Image - Twitter

After Bhupesh Chaudhury, an IAS officer of AGMUT cadre posted in Mizoram, another IAS officer of the same cadre dashed off a letter to Union home secretary stating how protestors had prevented government servants from attending the Republic Day celebrations on Sunday.

In his letter to Union home secretary, the additional chief electoral officer of Mizoram, Krishna Mohan Uppu reportedly said he has “never faced such an insult and indignation in my entire life as a civil servant”.

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An IAS officer of Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, Uppu detailed how he arrived at the Assam Rifles ground, the venue of the 70th Republic Day celebrations at Aizawl at 7 am but was prevented from entering by representatives of several NGOs who called for a R-Day boycott.

Also read: Mizoram: IAS officer writes strong worded letter over R-Day boycott

Earlier, IAS officer Bhupesh Chaudhury, who is serving as the registrar of Cooperative Societies, Government of Mizoram, wrote a letter addressed to home secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; additional secretary (UT), Ministry of Home Affairs; chief secretary; principal secretary (Home); and the secretary, Cooperation, government of Mizoram, where he made all details about the happenings in Mizoram on the Republic Day.

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He stated what had happened in the state on the Republic Day celebrations ‘was unthinkable in a free country.’

Chaudhury elaborated that he along with his ‘fellow officers, reached the northern gate of Assam Rifles Ground in Aizawl to attend the 70th Republic Day function at 7 am’.

Also read: Mizoram governor addresses virtually empty ground on R-Day

But, to their ‘shock and surprise’, they were stopped at both the entrance gates and were told by the members of Joint NGO Coordination Committee that we cannot attend the Republic Day function 2019’ and that they should return to their quarters ‘before any untoward incident happens’.

It may be mentioned that the joint NGO coordination committee had earlier taken out a resolution to boycott the Republic Day function throughout Mizoram as a mark of opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

According to media reports, IAS officer Uppu in his letter also said he had arrived at the Assam Rifles ground, the venue of the celebrations, at 7 am but was prevented from entering by representatives of the NGOs.

Media reports quoted Uppu as saying in his letter: “Sensing that there might be a law and order situation if we keep arguing with the NGOs and since the police personnel on duty were discharging their duties to ensure invitees are allowed peaceful access, we had to stay put outside the venue.”

Uppo also wrote in his letter: “After waiting for an hour, we had to leave the venue with a heavy heart and a feeling of insult and indignation for not being allowed to attend Republic Day celebrations in my own county and the very state I am working.”

Bhupesh Chaudhary in his letter said: “It is most unfortunate that in my own country I have been stopped from attending Republic Day celebrations by the people of the same country. Can it get worse,” adding at least eight to nine officials were prevented from attending the function “forcefully”.

“We are bound by the government orders not by diktats of the NGOs,” said Choudhury, adding, “This is unthinkable in free India.”

Both the IAS officers, Uppu and Chaudhary, have demanded probe and action into the incident.