Manpreet’s ‘poor English’ jibe at IAS officers leads to furore
CHANDIGARH: Finance minister’s Manpreet Singh Badal’s remark that most IAS officers in Punjab lack proficiency in English has created furore in the bureaucratic circles.
Addressing the concluding session of the World Punjabi Conference in Chandigarh on Sunday, Manpreet said: “Barring one or two, other IAS officers don’t know how to write correct English. They don’t know how to write a letter. When I read letters and memorandum written by them to the Centre, I hang my head in shame. How have they passed the IAS (examination).”
Though no IAS officer was willing to react on record, they appeared dejected that they were “insulted” by the minister.
Terming the minister’s remark unwarranted, an IAS officer, who doesn’t want to be named, said: “We don’t understand his (Manpreet’s) Urdulaced Punjabi.”
The remark also led to a heated discussion on WhatsApp groups of IAS officers in which everyone wanted to know the two officers who according to the FM know English. “We can learn from them,” wrote an IAS officer.
Punjab president of IAS officers KBS Sidhu refused to comment saying “everyone in the country has a freedom of speech”. An IAS officer said the association was planning to react to the “insulting” comment of the minister.