My appeal to my officers of Delhi govt .... https://t.co/YQ02WgaAtd — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) 1529245320000

NEW DELHI: Softening his stand in the face-off with LG which entered its seventh day on Sunday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that “IAS officers are part of his family” and gave a public assurance of safety to bureaucrats in meetings with ministers while urging them to stop the boycott of the AAP government and return to work.A senior IAS officer in Delhi government said the appeal would be discussed among the bureaucrats before a decision is taken.The development came as a surprise as Kejriwal has been unrelenting in his demands that the LG direct the IAS officers to end the “strike” and take punitive action against the bureaucrats who have been boycotting the Delhi government for the last four months.The uncertainty over the ending of the CM-LG face-off, however, continues because neither Kejriwal has said that he will end his dharna nor the bureaucrats have given any hints of accepting the appeal and stopping the boycott of routine meetings.In his appeal, Kejriwal said he will ensure the safety and security of officers with all the powers and resources available at his command. “It is my duty. I have given similar assurances earlier also to many officers who have been meeting me privately. I reiterate it today,” he said in the appeal which is likely to be considered by the IAS officers on Monday.The appeal came hours after five IAS officers held a press conference at the Press Club of India where they rebutted the claim of the Aam Aadmi Party that the officers are on a strike and said that the work is going on smoothly in all the departments. The bureaucrats, however, added that they are avoiding routine meetings which they feel would be “unsafe” for them.The IAS officers claimed that an atmosphere of threat has enveloped the bureaucracy after the alleged assault on Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash at Kejriwal's residence in February.IAS officer Jayadev Sarangi said the bureaucrats don’t feel secure attending meetings with the ministers because after the alleged assault on the chief secretary, an AAP MLA spoke about violence against officers at a public function where chief minister was also present. He added that the CM did not even condemn the remarks of the MLA.“I was once threatened with physical assault,” alleged transport commissioner Varsha Joshi.The bureaucrats ruled out the possibility of attending meetings called by the ministers with personal security officers. “In any place it is not feasible for an employee to meet his boss with a bodyguard,” said Joshi. Earlier, the AAP government had proposed that they would conduct meetings under cameras but the bureaucrats said cameras cannot guarantee their personal security.The turnaround in Kejriwal's stand came a day after CMs of four states arrived at Kejriwal's residence to extend their support. On Sunday evening, AAP workers held a massive march from Mandi House towards PM Narendra Modi’s residence, but were stopped by cops midway.