India Tomorrow
LUCKNOW—Ghazipur district magistrate Aryaka Akhoury is in the news again for her alleged proximity with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). Akhoury’s spat with MP Afzal Ansari, brother of controversial late MLA Mukhtar Ansari, had gone viral after her ‘no permission’ argument for taking part in the funeral of Mukhtar.
Earlier, she was painted as an upright officer but her action has raised serious questions on her secular credentials.
In a video message, Akhoury can be heard talking about a programme by Sewa Bharati, an affiliate of RSS. She can be heard appealing to attend the programme of Sewa Bharati. She can also be heard saying that the ticket for that show would be available at RSS, Ghazipur office. The video message was recorded while she was sitting in the chair of DM, Ghazipur.
Former IPS officer and Azad Adhikar Sena president Amitabh Thakur has said in his video statement that the video message of DM Ghazipur Aryaka Akhoury is indicative that she was working as a Pracharak of RSS. He said that the video message was released in November 2023.
Amitabh Thakur says that her appeal for attending the Sewa Bharati programme was a serious question on her political neutrality. He says that her behaviour at Mukhtar Ansari’s funeral is a question mark on her political neutrality. He has asked for her removal from the post of DM to ensure a free and fair election. He has sent a letter and the video clip to the Election Commission of India.
In his letter, Mr. Thakur has said that Aryaka Akhoury was working for RSS and its affiliate Sewa Bharati while being in the chair of DM, Ghazipur.
He says that it is known to all that the Bharatiya Janata Party is the political wing of RSS. “In such a situation, promoting RSS and Sewa Bharati from the chair of DM puts a serious question on her political neutrality”, says Amitabh Thakur.
There is no response from the Election Commission of India on Amitabh Thakur’s letter and the Government of UP led by Yogi Adiytanath has also not commented on the said video message.
It may be recalled that During Mukhtar Ansari’s funeral, Akhoury tried to stop people from burial rituals in which soil was poured on the grave by those attending the funeral. Akhoury cited the imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the area for stopping people from taking part in the last rites. Afzal contested her action saying that funerals are exempted from section 144 of the CrPC.
Her argument with a grieving Afzal Ansari was heavily criticized by the netizens as it was considered not proper to interfere and stop people from attending the last rites of a person.
Aryaka Akhoury hails from Bihar’s Patna district. She became an IAS officer in 2013. Her first posting was as the joint magistrate in Varanasi in 2015. She was appointed the chief development officer in the Meerut district in 2017. Akhoury got her first posting as a DM in Bhadohi district on February 11, 2021.
