Suspended disapproval

The recent controversial suspension of Indian Administrative Service officer Durga Shakti Nagpal in Uttar Pradesh has not gone down well with a section of the ruling Samajwadi Party. Though most leaders from the party have outwardly supported the Akhilesh Yadav-led state government on the move, several have expressed resentment at the manner in which the entire issue was handled. When the officer could have been transferred to convey the government's displeasure, what was the need to suspend her, an old-timer asked. This understated intra-party dissidence under Akhilesh Yadav's leadership is in sharp contrast to the iron hand with which his father led the party. Now, with the troika of Shivpal, Azam Khan and Mulayam overriding the chief minister, decision-making has become cumbersome. Rule by remote control is clearly not the prerogative of the Congress party at the Centre.