The former civil servants, as part of the Constitutional Conduct Group, in an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu said The Union government is making “noticeable attempts” to pressure officers to “show exclusive loyalty to the Union.

New Delhi: Over 80 former civil servants have written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, saying attempts are being made by the BJP-led Union government to “change the character of the civil services” and pressure them to “show exclusive loyalty” to the Union government.

The former civil servants, as part of the Constitutional Conduct Group, have said that the civil services “were uniquely intended to be a protective ring around the constitution, unaffected by political changes, having an All India perspective rather than a regional, parochial one and being secure enough to maintain an independent, nonpartisan outlook, without fear or favour”. But there is a “systematic attempt” to change the character of the civil services, particularly the IAS and the IPS.

“It is in this context that we seek to approach you on a matter which, of late, is causing much concern to us and which we are duty bound to bring to your notice,” the open letter says.

The Union government is making “noticeable attempts” to pressure officers to “show exclusive loyalty to the Union rather than to the ‘parent’ state cadre to which they are allotted”, the open letter says. The signatories said that arbitrary departmental actions have been taken against officers who have refused to do so and the Union government wants to amend service rules to compel central deputations without the consent of either the officers concerned or their state governments. “This has disturbed the federal balance and left civil servants torn between conflicting loyalties, thereby weakening their ability to be impartial,” the letter says.

“As the Constitutional Head of the Republic, we appeal to you to convey our concerns to the Union Government and caution them that this attempt to change the character of the civil services is fraught with extreme danger and, as Sardar Patel had warned many years ago, will spell the death of constitutional government in India,” the said.

The full text and the list of signatories are reproduced below…

https://thewire.in/government/bjp-open-letter-civil-services-character