UP official shifted over Ram temple letter

Uttar Pradesh principal secretary (Home) R.M. Srivastava has been shunted out over a controversial official communique that spoke about building a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Srivastava's transfer late Tuesday came days after two other officials of the home department were suspended over the the issue.

Srivastava has been replaced by Anil Kumar Gupta, a member of the Revenue Board.

A source said the government wanted to send out a stern message to the bureaucracy that officials embarrassing the state government would not be spared.

Srivastava had earlier publicly apologized over the letter which spoke of a meeting to be held in Lucknow with police and other officials to discuss the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya a la the Somnath temple.

As the letter found its way to the media, the opposition accused the Samajwadi Party government of conniving with those who have favoured building a grand Ram temple at the site of the razed Babri mosque.