The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday removed Amethi District Magistrate Prashant Sharma, a day after a video clip of him meeting the grieving family of Vijay Kumar Singh alias Sonu Singh went viral on the social media. On the demands of the family, Sharma had visited the post-mortem house on Wednesday, where the body of Sonu Singh, 35, who was killed by armed men on Tuesday night, was brought.
DM प्रशांत शर्मा जी, ये एक मृतक का भाई है, थोड़ा जज्बाती होना लाजमी है। आपने इस गरीब का नहीं, समूचे लोकतंत्र का कॉलर पकड़ कर घसीटा है। जिस संविधान की शपथ ली उसका ही अपमान किया है। मैं @myogiadityanath से अनुरोध करूँगा कि अमेठी DM तत्काल निलंबित किए जाएँ। @ChiefSecyUP pic.twitter.com/lYbdnX4rHV
— Vedank Singh (@VedankSingh) November 13, 2019
In the video clip which has gone viral, the District Magistrate is seen almost dragging a cousin of the Sonu Singh. Locals had expressed anguish over the administration’s alleged insensitivity. The state government has removed Prashant Sharma and put him in waiting, a government spokesman said on Thursday.
पहले मृतक के भाई को धक्का देने वाले और बाद में उसपर दबाव बनाकर वीडियो बनवाने वाले DM अमेठी प्रशांत शर्मा शंट किए गए। अमेठी से हटाकर उन्हें फ़िलहाल प्रतीक्षारत रखा गया है। सोशल मीडिया पर चलायी गयी मुहिम हुई सफल। pic.twitter.com/8NwpzhVKsN
— Vedank Singh (@VedankSingh) November 14, 2019
Union Minister Smriti Irani and Member of Parliament from Amethi, had also reprimanded Sharma and asked him to be sensitive and modest. The video that has gone viral shows Amethi district magistrate Prashant Sharma meeting the family of a victim who was shot dead recently.
“We must try to remain modest and sensitive. We are servants of people not rulers,” Irani tweeted.
विनय शील एवं संवेदनशील बने हम यही प्रयास होना चाहिए । जनता के हम सेवक है , शासक नहीं @DmAmethi 🙏
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) November 13, 2019
Moradabad Development Authority vice president Arun Kumar has been posted as Amethi’s District Magistrate replacing Sharma, the spokesman said.