India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

An IAS officer in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has courted controversy by lavishing praise on the Nehru-Gandhi family and by equating yoga guru Ramdev with Asaram Bapu.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Barwani Collector Ajay Gangwar questioned those criticising Jawaharlal Nehru and said that the first prime minister had stopped India from becoming a “Hindu Taliban country” in 1947.

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He lauded Nehru for promoting scientific temperament and for choosing Vikram Sarabhai and Homi J Bhabha over “intellectuals like Baba Ramdev and Asaram Bapu”. The post circulated on WhatsApp and later picked by media websites, credited Nehru with bringing IITs, ISRO, BARC and thermal power plants, and setting up universities instead of gaushalas and temples. “He (Nehru) made you walk scientific path, not one of superstition. The Gandhi family should indeed apologise for these mistakes,” he said in the post, laced with sarcasm.

S K Mishra, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said the matter has reached Chief Secretary Anthony D’Sa. Despite repeated attempts, Gangwar did not return calls.

Quoting the Chief Secretary, Mishra said the post will be examined and an explanation sought from the officer if the content was found in violation of Civil Services (Conduct) Rules.

MoS Lal Singh Arya, who holds the GAD portfolio, told local TV channels that Gangwar should refrain from making political comments like these. He slammed the bureaucrat for his comment on Ramdev, saying he is a patriot.

Also read: Jawaharlal Nehru erased from Rajasthan school textbook, Congress angry

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