IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari transferred from BMC over controversial tweet
Choudhari was transferred to the water supply department in Mantralaya after she posted a sarcastic, albeit controversial, tweet about Mahatma Gandhi (Picture: Congress workers protesting against Choudhari, Courtesy: India TV)
Nidhi Choudhari, who was posted as Deputy Municipal Commissioner in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has been transferred following a controversial tweet about Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse.
The Maharashtra IAS officer has been transferred from the municipal corporation to the water supply department in Mantralaya. She will take up the role of Deputy Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation Department.
Apart from the transfer, Choudhari has also been issued a show-cause notice by the Maharashtra government for the ‘sarcastic’ tweet.
The action against the bureaucrat comes a day after NCP president Sharad Pawar sought action against Choudhari for her controversial tweet on Gandhi.
In a letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Pawar had said” “If the government doesn’t take action it would be deemed that its policy and intention has reached its lowest ebb”.
“A government official in a progressive state like Maharashtra making such insulting comments against Mahatma Gandhi, and the state government turning a blind eye to it is a serious matter,” Pawar added.
Her comments were not only condemnable but were fit for action against her, the former Union minister had said, adding that he was shocked to hear about the contents of the tweet.
Both Congress and NCP had demanded suspension of Choudhari over the tweet.
In the tweet, which has since been deleted, Choudhari had ‘sarcastically’ called for the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s statues from across the world and his images from the Indian currency notes.
She also “thanked” the Mahatma’s assassin Nathuram Godse for “30.1.1948”, the day Gandhi was killed.
After the tweet went viral and garnered criticism from netizens, officer clarified the tweet was “sarcastic” and that it was “misinterpreted”.
“I am a devout follower of Gandhi Ji and would NEVER insult him. The tweet which has been misinterpreted was a sarcasm and not intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments,” she posted.
I have deleted my tweet of 17.05.2019 w.r.t. GandhiJi because some people misunderstood it
If only they had followed my timeline since 2011 they would’ve understood that I would NEVER even dream of insulting GandhiJi
I bow before him with deepest regard & will do till last breath pic.twitter.com/CSjaKHF9BJ— Nidhi Choudhari?☪️✝️☸️ (@nidhichoudhari) May 31, 2019
The clarification, however, did little to pacify the politicians who remained adamant about her removal.
