This issue highlights a controversy surrounding a social media post made from the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, where Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was referred to in a derogatory manner as “Pappu.” The Congress party has strongly condemned the incident, calling the comment “unacceptable and inappropriate” and accusing the officer of violating norms of public service neutrality.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the increasing politicization of India’s civil service, expressing concern over efforts to undermine the impartiality that Sardar Patel had envisioned for the bureaucracy. He demanded immediate action against the officer responsible for the post.
In response, District Magistrate Manish Verma issued an official statement claiming that his X handle had been misused by “anti-social elements” and assured that legal action was being taken, including filing an FIR and investigating the matter through the cyber cell.
The incident started when a comment was made on a post by Congress leader Supriya Shrinate, which criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The unverified X handle of the District Magistrate responded with a derogatory reference to Rahul Gandhi. Congress leaders, including Shrinate and Pawan Khera, called for accountability, accusing administrative officials of making political comments under the influence of the BJP.
This incident raises concerns about the impartiality of civil servants and the need for stricter adherence to professional conduct in public service.
