IRS Associationhas written a letter to Aam Aadmi Party Chief and former Income Tax Additional Commissioner Arvind Kejriwal and conveys its strong anguish and hurt at various statements being attributed to him which malign the image of the Income-tax Department and its employees, blaming them for corruption in a generalized manner, through media including various TV and FM Channels. Full text of the letter is as follows :-
Dear Arvind,
The IRS Association takes cognizance of and conveys its strong anguish and hurt at various statements being attributed to you which malign the image of the Income-tax Department and its employees, blaming them for corruption in a generalized manner, through media including various TV and FM Channels.
2. The excerpts of one of such messages attributed to you are reproduced below for ready reference:
‘I was a commissioner in Income Tax. An ordinary IT inspector normally makes Rs 1 crore in a year. As Commissioner, I could have made crores and travel in a car fitted with beaconlight. But I left service, and decided to serve the nation, said Kejriwal.
[Source: http://www.indiatvnews.com/politics/national/arvind-kejriwal-aap-govt-in-delhi-oath-on-dec-15-aap-ki-adalat–13023.html?page=3]
3. Your attention is also drawn towards a radio message telling that you could have earned Crores of Rupees as Commissioner of Income-tax but you resigned and preferred politics. The above statements being attributed to you cast aspersion on the whole of the Department including every employee. The Association wishes to remind you that no department or organization is corrupt or honest; it is the individuals of the department or organization who may be so. The IRS Association strongly feels that corruption, whether in the Income-tax Department, or in any other organization or in Politics, should be eliminated, but does not support defaming and maligning the entire personnel of a Department or organization. It needs to be emphasised that even your wife is a member of this Department.
4. You need to be informed that the Income-tax Department is a front line Department of the Government of India who, by the efforts of its personnel and aid of modern technology, has not only increased Revenue mobilization manifold for the Nation, but also introduced transparency to a great extent for better governance. The excellence of its computerization modules have been recognized and honoured with various national awards. The Indian Revenue Service is, therefore one of the best Central Services in the country today. In view of the above, we feel that the statements being made by you are unnecessarily damaging the image o this fine service.
5. In these circumstances we request you to desist from and immediately stop making such statements in public and in the print and electronic media, otherwise we will be constrained to take steps to protect our image.
6. To correct the facts, contrary to your claims, you have never worked as Commissioner and your batch has still not been promoted as Commissioner of Income-tax.
Download IRS Association Letter to Arvind Kejriwal dated 22.11.2013