The Northeast community today came out in support of Shakuntala Gamlin, whose appointment as the acting chief secretary has escalated into a huge fracas.
Arguing that Gamlin has been used as a “punching bag” and made the “scapegoat” in the fight between Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, the community staged a protest outside Delhi Secretariat.
The protesters later also handed over a memorandum to the chief minister.
We are hurt by the allegations being made by the government in public. Government should treat everyone equally,
– JT Tagam, one of the protesters
The community blamed Kejriwal for being biased against the woman IAS officer from the Northeast, stating that:
First the government recommended her name. It then objected to her appointment and later even accused her of favouring power companies in a public rally before the media. The Chief Minister should publicly apologise to her,
– a protester
The Northeast community also maintained that the CM’s act of verbally lambasting a lady officer in front of the media had been uncalled for. She should not have been brought into the political tussle at all, they declared.
She is discriminated against in many ways and this is her character assassination. She is being used as a punching bag in a tussle between the Lt. Governor and the Chief Minister.
– a protester
Taba Doni, president of the Arunachal Student Union, Delhi, also declared the association’s staunch support for one of their own. “We stand by Shakuntala Gamlin. By targeting her, he has targeted the entire community. The Chief Minister should conduct an enquiry and if she is found guilty, we are ready to accept the government’s decision. She is being made a scapegoat in a political battle.”
(With PTI inputs)