Within hours after the Union Home Ministry ordered his premature retirement, the controversial Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Basant Rath on Thursday joined the ruling BJP.
Basant Rath on Thursday shared his membership in the BJP on his social media account.
Earlier in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary of J&K, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the Competent Authority has approved the premature retirement of Rath in the public interest under Rule 16(3) of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958 with immediate effect by giving three months pay and allowances in lieu of notice.
Rath was an IPS officer of the 2000 batch of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre, now AGMUT. He was in the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The MHA order read: "The Central Government after careful consideration of the proposal of UT division and performance of Rath has come to the conclusion that the officer is not fit to be retained in service in the public interest. The Government has, therefore, decided to retire Rath prematurely from services in the public interest."
Yes. pic.twitter.com/59q7dRaNa6
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) August 10, 2023
Basant Rath was suspended on July 8, 2020
Basant Rath was suspended by the Union Home Ministry for "gross misconduct and misbehaviour", on July 8, 2020, which he gave some controversial statements.
Rath was attached to Police Headquarters in Jammu and was asked not to leave the headquarters without permission from the Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Home Ministry in an order stated that the disciplinary proceedings against Rath were "contemplated in connection with repeated instances of gross misconduct and misbehaviour, which have been brought to the notice of the Government".
On July 31, the Union Home Ministry extended the suspension period of Basant Rath for six more months till January 27, 2024.
According to an order, the President, in the exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 3 of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, placed Shri Basant Rath, IPS (AGMUT: 2000) under suspension from 08.07.2020, vide MHA's order of even number dated 08.07.2020, as disciplinary proceedings were contemplated against him.
The order reads that based on the recommendations of the Central Review Committee, the President, in the exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 3 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, extended the suspension tenure of Shri Basant Kumar Rath.
"The Central Review Committee, while reviewing the suspension of Basant Rath has taken into account the facts & circumstances of the case in totality and recommended the extension of suspension tenure for a further period of 180 days beyond 31.07.2023 up to 27.01.2024,", reads the order.
Rath offered to resign from the service
Earlier in June 2021, Basant Rath, while announcing his resignation from service, hinted to join politics to contest elections in Kashmir. Basant Rath announced his resignation from service on his Twitter handle. He also posted the resignation letter that he has written to the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir.
In his letter addressed to J&K Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta and marked to Director General of Police Dilbag Singh and the then Commandant General Home Guard H K Lohia, Rath said "I wish to resign from the Indian Police Service in order to be able to participate in electoral politics. Please consider this letter as my request for resignation/voluntary retirement and process it accordingly".
If I ever join a political party, it WILL be BJP.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) June 25, 2022
If I ever contest an election, it WILL be from Kashmir.
If I ever join politics, it WILL be before March 6, 2024.
Rath earlier announced joining BJP
Earlier Basant Rath announced joining the ruling BJP to serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
"I'll join BJP before the next Parliamentary elections. I'll stay and work in J and K and Ladakh. No question of going back to Odisha", Basant Rath tweeted from his Twitter.
"If I ever join a political party, it will be BJP. If I ever contest an election, it will be from Kashmir. If I ever join politics, it will be before March 6, 2024.", he wrote.
