Raipur: A major controversy has erupted after a senior IAS officer in Chhattisgarh has claimed that 94 percent of death row convicts in India are Dalits and Muslims.
Meanwhile, the state government has slapped a notice to the officer and ordered him to reply within a month.
IAS officer Alex Paul Menon was once kidnapped by the Naxals when he was a collector of the Sukma district of the state.
Alex had allegedly made the comments last month on a Facebook post. He had also questioned the country's legal system.
The government has termed the post as a voice against the country's judicial system.
Reacting to the remark, Chief Minister Raman Singh has said that the notice is served as part of the official procedure but people should know when and what they should say in public.
A 2006 batch officer, Menon, who is presently the CEO of Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (ChiPS), had purportedly put up a Facebook post on June 18 "is there a bias in India's legal system with 94% of Indians on death row being either Muslim or Dalit?"
The post drew criticism in social media dubbing it as a voice against the country's judicial system by an IAS officer.
"He (Menon) had posted a comment on social media which was construed as a violation of conduct as per All India Service rules. His comment was perceived as criticism of the judiciary which is a part of the government.
"Hence, a show-notice has been issued to him asking why an action shouldn't be taken against him," State's General Administration Department Secretary, Nidhi Chibber told PTI.
An all-India service officer should not make such comments with any kind of media against the policy or working of the government, she said adding the officer has been asked to reply within a month in the notice and further action will be taken accordingly.
(With PTI inputs)
