MHA issues ‘gag order’
Virtually gagging its officials from speaking to the media “directly” on official matters, the Union home ministry on Tuesday appointed D.R.S. Choudhary, its additional secretary (Naxal management) as the “‘official spokesperson”.
The move comes within days of home secretary G.K. Pillai’s remarks to the media on the ISI’s involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks citing leads from LeT operative David Headley’s interrogation kicked up a diplomatic storm during foreign minister S.M. Krishna’s recent visit to Islamabad.
The order issued by the home ministry also said that the prior approval of either home minister P. Chidambaram or Mr Pillai will be needed by the newly-appointed spokesperson while talking to the media on “sensitive issues”.
During Mr Krishna’s visit, Pakistan foreign minister S.M. Qureshi had seized upon the home secretary’s remarks to attack him and also embarrass the Indian foreign minister by equating Mr Pillai’s statement with those of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed. Mr Qureshi even claimed that Mr Krishna had “agreed” with him that the remarks were “uncalled for”. Mr Pillai’s remarks had come on the eve of the Indo-Pak talks.
With the ministry order, Mr Pillai, who was accessible to journalists on occasions may now be scarce to newspersons.
Till now, a senior officer belonging to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) was the home ministry’s official spokesperson. While the PIB official is expected to continue, the ministry’s order said that Mr Choudhary, a 1977 batch IAS officer, “will speak to the media on a day-to-day basis on emergent matters at a specified time everyday.” It further said that the matters for briefing the media will be provided by the concerned department heads. In another change, a search has already begun for a replacement for the home minister’s officer on special duty, S.A. Rizvi. Mr Rizvi, a 1989 batch IPS officer, is reverting back to the Intelligence Bureau.
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