PMO's top men can't blame anyone for spoiling the optics leading to National Election 2019. They have been responsible for picking up top officials in the CBI and other organizations. And hand-picked officials are the ones who are messing up with PM's laboriously cultivated image of a competent and able administrator.

 

Take, for instance, the most-talked-about case of the CBI. Both Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana were vetted and selected by him, bypassing Rupak Dutta (Retd IPS:1981:KN) who was among the most experienced (15 years in CBI as SP, DIG, ADG, and Special Director) and counted among the upright officers shortlisted for the CBI Chief post. But he was unceremoniously shifted to MHA as a Special Secretary Internal Security-II.

 

And look and behold. Dutta opted to quietly fade away - like all honorable men and women. But Verma and Asthana, two blue-eyed boys of the PM, have done everything to damage the image of Modi. In the process of damaging each other and settling their personal scores, they never bothered for a second how their deeds may raise questions about the PM's leadership qualities. They went as far as to invite the comment from the Supreme Court that "none of you deserve a hearing".

 

One understands that the PM has been in a tremendous hurry to leave his mark on India's history from the day he entered Parliament and became the leader of the ruling NDA. To achieve his political objective, he followed what he had learned as the CM of Gujarat: pack the administration with his favorite yes men. A completely centralised model for selection process and non-transparent 360-degree selection for rejection was adopted to follow a cloak and dagger policy in dealing with IAS and IPS officers. Resultantly, many competent officers were unceremoniously repatriated to their respective cadres, various others not even empanelled to hold JS, AS & Secretary level posts and few others (sidelined) were not picked for key departments. One could not find even a single example of less preferred  or sidelined officer to have spoiled the Govt's optics. 

 

Senior officers got the first inkling of the attitude of the new administration in 2014 itself when they were made to punch in/punch out to mark their attendance like lawless class IV employees.

 

Despite given a raw deal and insinuations against them, many honorable officials discharged their duties and never tried to cast aspersions on the government and its leaders. 

 

But the PM's favorite officials, both in the IAS and IPS, have been jostling for positions. What Modi has been unable to learn from his long years in the government that honest and neutral officials are mentally configured differently from politically inclined officials

Even before the Verma-Asthana case could die away, one CBI DIG Manish Kumar Sinha had approached the Supreme Court against his transfer to Nagpur. He has made a series of sensational charges and allegations against a minister, several CBI officers, the country’s top vigilance officer, NSA Ajit Doval, the law secretary, and a few more top authorities. 

 

Apparently, there is something seriously wrong with the government's screening and selection process for appointment to senior and responsible positions.