'I Came at 9:40. Why Did Event Start at 9:57': Rajnath Singh Pulls up Babus

New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday pulled up officials for delay in the Civil Services Day function at Vigyan Bhawan.

“I reached the venue at 9.40am but the event started at 9.57am. Why? We must introspect if our level of commitment has come down,” Singh said.

He said there maybe many reasons for the delayed start and some reasons maybe right but there should be an introspection as to why the situation is such as it is today. "It would have been good that we would not have deviated (from the scheduled time). Has there been any laxity in our commitment?" he asked.

Referring to the country's first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who had termed the civil services as the 'steel frame' of India, Singh asked whether the 'steel frame' of the civil services has become weak?

"I am telling this as I think we all should conduct a serious introspection. I am raising this issue as I know for some people this may come across as weird but I thought it is appropriate to raise the issue before all of you," he said.

Because, the Home Minister said, the Civil Services Day is such an occasion where everyone introspects, discusses about the journey that was planned.

"What we have achieved so far and what should we do in the future. That's why I have raised the issue," he said.

"When I was invited for a function, when I was the chief minister, it was quite natural that I would reach the venue 10 minutes before the scheduled time. But as a minister also, I have seen that whenever I have to go to attend a function, people reach the venue a few minutes before the scheduled time. But for the first time I have seen... (people getting late)," he said.

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