Has Uttar Pradesh DGP Goel’s proximity with Akhilesh led to his ouster?

A terse message for Home Department on Wednesday night declared the transfer of Uttar Pradesh DGP Mukul Goel. A transfer is nothing new in government services, but the language used by the state Home Department in its statement shocked all. The statement said that UP DGP was removed for "neglecting official work and not taking interest in departmental work.''

The reaction came immediately. Former bureaucrat and author Anil Swaroop said in his tweet: “As a former civil servant I have often wondered how someone who is selected for such posts can so suddenly start “disobeying orders’ and/or stops taking interest in work. It does not work that way.”

The transfer order came as a bolt from the blue. No one was expecting that DGP could be transferred that too because Goel was brought from central deputation before assembly elections and was given the charge of the police. Moreover, during his tenure the BJP registered a big victory. He was to retire in 2024 and everyone was expecting long innings from him.

Then what happened that led to his exit?

Sources in the state bureaucracy claim that Goel’s proximity to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was a major reason behind his removal. During Akhilesh’s regime, he was ADG (Law and Order). During Mulayam Sigh Yadav’s regime, in 2006, he was allegedly involved in a recruitment scam.

Sources say that in 2.0 Yogi Government, the Chief Minister had stopped asking DGP to attend law and order meetings. After Lalitpur and Chandauli incident, the CM removed the DGP.

The bureaucrat said that this is not the true reason. Yogi was told that Goel is close to Akhilesh and was taking interest in the transfer of SOs on the recommendation of the SP Chief. Goel reportedly wanted the transfer of an inspector in Lucknow, but Yogi stopped the file.

“More wickets are likely to fell in bureaucracy and police set up because it cannot be denied that a section of the bureaucrats tried to change their allegiance during the elections. There was speculation that Yogi Adityanath's government is on its way out. During the assembly elections, names of many officials had also appeared on social media, who were said to be in touch with the SP President. Social media platforms were also flooded with rumours that Yadav had blocked a number of many officers who were once loyal to him but had switched loyalty during Yogi Raj,” a senior bureaucrat said.

The results came as a shocker as Yogi Adityanath returned to power. There is reportedly a discussion in the corridors of power about the government that has identified officers who were working against the government during the election.

According to sources, even before the elections in the state, the retired officers of the state were working for the opposition parties and making strategies for them. It is believed that these officers were in touch with some serving officers and were taking information about the schemes and the strategies.

“Even serving officers of a particular caste and class were working freely for opposition parties. Casteism prevails among state cadres. The names of many of these officers featured regularly in social media. Mukul Goel was one of them. The claims were made on social media that the then DGP had given directions to police officers of particular districts and in those districts, the BJP did not do well in elections,” the source said.