Nagpur man confronts IAS officer over appointment rule

A man from Nagpur confronted an IAS officer over the need for an appointment to meet him, arguing that a public servant should be accessible to citizens and not treat them like visitors seeking an audience with a private company executive.

Yash Gourkhede, founder of the Jan Badlaav Party, a regional political party based primarily in Nagpur, Maharashtra, shared the video on Facebook.

In the clip, the IAS officer was seen sitting at a conference table when he questioned Gourkhede about arriving without an appointment. “Did you make an appointment to meet me?” he said.

Gourkhede promptly challenged the requirement, replying, “What appointment? You are a public servant, not an HR of any private company. That's why I was standing out.”

The exchange came against the backdrop of a movement demanding an increase in daily wages for workers. In the accompanying post, Gourkhede claimed that Public Works Department (PWD) officials and contractors had been harassing workers following the wage-related protest.

He wrote that instead of addressing their demands, those speaking up for their rights were being targeted. The Jan Badlaav Party, he added, was supporting the workers' fight for fair wages, dignity and justice.

“We will not let the voices of the workers be suppressed,” he wrote in the post, asserting that its campaign would continue until their demands were addressed.

The video prompted several viewers to praise Gourkhede for questioning the officer. One user said government officials should not behave as though they owned the people they served and appreciated him for speaking up.

Another praised his confidence and the preparation he had put into confronting government officials and police departments.

A third person urged more people to take such initiatives and stand up for those in need.- Ends