UP official issues gag order on activist

Believe it or not, a senior official of the Uttar Pradesh government wants a social activist not to communication with the administration any more.

Principal Secretary (Home) R.M. Srivastava has also ruled that Right to Information (RTI) activist Nutan Thakur appeared to be depressed.

Srivastava was apparently annoyed by the questions raised by Thakur.

He has told officials in his office that "complaints by Nutan Thakur appear to be out of depression which have no logical basis or have any proof".

Thakur told IANS that she was shocked.

"This is uncalled for and unconstitutional. I am within my rights to ask questions to the government on acts which I find are not correct," she said.

Thakur had wanted to know how officials facing investigation were getting promotions.

"Instead of replying to the question raised by me, they have chosen to declare me a depressed and a mischievous person," she said.

In his note, Srivastava accused Thakur of creating mischief and filing RTIs at the behest of her husband and for troubling the government.

He suggested to the state chief secretary that the woman be told through the director general of police not to communicate with the government.

The chief secretary, whose notings are also on the communique, however crossed out the suggestion saying: "This was not required and may be deleted."

Thakur has been in the forefront of many RTIs and public interest litigation, Her husband Amitabh Thakur is a senior Indian Police Service officer with the Uttar Pradesh cadre.