PM owes explanation on ‘summary’ sacking of Sujatha Singh:Cong
New Delhi: Defending the move to replace Sujatha Singh as Foreign Secretary, BJP on Thursday ruled out any political motive and said the government had acted well within its right to decide on appointment of officers.
“I don’t see any reason for hue and cry. A government is within its rights to decide how it would like to appoint what officers and with what responsibilities. And this is not the first time….. Preceding governments have taken (such) decisions,” BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said.
Singh was removed late last night from the crucial post of Foreign Secretary eight months before her tenure was to end and replaced by S Jaishankar, Ambassador to the US. “I do not see any reason that anyone can attribute any political motives. This is the right of the government,” Kohli said. Taking on the Congress for raising questions on the decision, the BJP leader said, “The Congress party spokesperson can try to do politics or anything. In any case it does not appear that they are inspired by their leadership. That’s why their constant method seems to be trying to raise a hue and cry on issues also where there is no scope to do so.”
Kohli said there can’t be a political motive to everything. “How can you mix it with the appointment of the Foreign Secretary? A government is within its rights to appoint any officer and this has been done by preceding governments too. There can’t be a political motive to everything,” he said.
Congress on Thursday reacted sharply to the “sudden and summary” sacking of Sujatha Singh as Foreign Secretary, insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi owed an explanation to the nation over her removal “without reason” just after a successful visit by the U S President.
“The sudden and summary removal of the seniormost woman foreign service official by Modi government raises serious questions on its intent and administrative mechanism it is following”, party spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.
This, he said, was especially because the development has come on the heels of similar summary terminations of SPG chief, DRDO Chief and IIM director.
“It puts a serious question mark on the administrative consistency and efficacy of actions of the Prime Minister”, he said, adding that this was more so because this “without reason removal” has happened after “supposedly successful” visit of the U S President.
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj owe an explanation to the nation, he added. “Is sacking of Foreign Secretary late retribution for her stand on Devyani Khobragade affair? Removal after a Presidential visit ‘coincidental’? former Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari wrote on Twitter.
Government last night decided to replace Singh curtailing her tenure due to end in August and appointed India’s Ambas-sador to the US S Jaishankar in her place.(PTI)