IPS officer writes to UP CM for post-retirement job, wants to contribute to BJP's LS poll campaign

An IPS officer, due to superannuate this month, has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, conveying his desire to "actively" contribute towards the BJP's 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign and has also sought a post-retirement job.

Surya Kumar Shukla, Director General, Home Guard, made the proposal on his official letterhead on August 23, which has raised eyebrows, but the officer asserted that he has done nothing wrong.

Informing the chief minister that he is due to retire on August 31, Shukla expressed his desire to actively contribute towards campaigning of the BJP in the 2019 general elections.

In the letter, a copy of which is with PTI, he also said the posts of vice president of the State Planning Commission and chairman of the Khadi Gramodyog Board, State Samaj Kalyan Board and State Pollution Control Board are vacant and sought appointment to one of those posts after retirement.

"I have come to know that these posts under your government are presently vacant. If I am appointed on any of these posts, I will be in a situation to actively contribute towards you as this will facilitate travelling and and staying in guest houses," Shukla said in the letter.

He also expressed complete faith in the ideology of Yogi Adityanath's organisation as well as its works.

When contacted, the IPS officer said that he has not done anything wrong.

"I have only a couple of days left in service..if someone talks about contributing in politics and society after that what is wrong in it," he asked.

However, retired IG S R Darapuri is of the view that writing such a letter during the service period is a violation of the All India Services Conduct Rules and Shukla needs to be suspended and punished for the same.

A few months back, Shukla had whipped up a controversy by pledging on camera to build the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya "at the earliest".

The video of the 1982-batch Indian Police Service officer taking the pledge during an event on Ram Mandir issue organised in February at Lucknow University had gone viral on social and electronic media.