Shunted out after objections? Former Home Secy LC Goyal had disagreed with ministry on several issues

Days after LC Goyal was replaced by Rajiv Mehrishi as Union home secretary, a report has emerged that he had earlier expressed opposition on several issues relating to the ministry. The Indian Express reports that Goyal and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had disagreed on several matters, after which disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the outgoing home secretary. [caption id=“attachment_2421078” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image courtesy: PIB[/caption] Goyal was reported to have said that he was taking voluntary retirement “due to persons with immediate effect”. He had then said that the decision to step down was his own and that any other reasons being attributed to it was incorrect. The Indian Express lists out a number of cases on which the bureaucrat expressed his disagreement, including a recommendation for a CBI inquiry against the hotel Le Meridien, an appeal filed by an IPS officer against her suspension, and disciplinary proceedings against a former chairman of the NDMC. According to the report, while Goyal was against immediate action against the hotel Le Meridien, the recommendation for the inquiry was sent to the Central Bureau of Investigation on the same day that Goyal resigned. A report in The Times of India had quoted sources saying that the re-shuffle took place because Goyal annoyed the political leadership with his rigid stand on several issues including the Naga talks and an advisory which regulated media interactions with the Ministry of Home Affairs. A _Firstpost_ report had said that Rajnath Singh had raised the issue of difficulties in working with Goyal, objecting to his “approach” and “attitude.” The report says that according to a home ministry official, Goyal’s approach was that of a “typical sarkari saheb”  and that he would find reasons to negate a particular move. Vijaylakshmi Joshi, an IAS officer who had headed the Swachh Bharat Mission as the secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, too resigned recently .