In Letter to BJP Members, Raje Govt Gives Their Relatives a Transfer of Choice

Jaipur: A leaked official circular through which the Vasundhara Raje government was seemingly trying to reach out to disgruntled party workers has put the BJP in a tight spot in Rajasthan.

The state education department has sent out a letter to BJP MLAs and district presidents of the party, asking them to send recommendations for favourable transfers of their relatives who work in the department.

The letter, dated February 16, was issued from the office of Vasudev Devnani, minister of state for elementary and secondary education and was duly signed by an officer of the Rajasthan Administrative Services.

Written on an official letterhead, it asks BJP office-bearers, former office-bearers or senior party workers to indicate where they would like to get their relatives posted.

The letter then gives out a set format for the family members of the party functionaries to apply and asks the BJP MLA or district presidents to forward the applications by email.

The format given includes names of the party functionary, place of current posting of the person seeking a transfer, place to which the transfer is desired, and the relationship of the teacher with the party functionary.

Such a letter is to be sent to MLAs and all party presidents by all departments of the state government, Times of India reported.

State education minister Devnani, however, denied any partisanship and said the letter was meant for MLAs of all political parties and not just the BJP.

The Congress termed the letter a brazen attempt to woo disgruntled BJP members after the party's defeat in the recent bypolls.

“The BJP is shocked by the recent defeat in bypolls so this is an attempt to reach out to its workers. The move is unconstitutional and the order should be withdrawn as soon as possible,” Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot told Deccan Herald.

The state’s teachers union has also criticized the circular, saying that they have never seen anything like it before.

In a letter to chief minister Vasundhara Raje, the union expressed sought the withdrawal of the letter and made it clear that special treatment for relatives of BJP functionaries is not acceptable and goes against the Constitution.