However the entire episode left everyone wondering why Mahesh Sharma woke up to his games fifteen months after he took over the charge of his department to prove illegality involved in reconfirmation of Dr. Rangrajan as director in January 2014 well before the Code of Conduct for the 2014 election came into force. He overlooked the fact that the NMML board meetings were held thrice since then including one held in presence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. The very fact that the Prime Minister attended the meeting and appreciated the work carried out by Dr. Rangrajan for improving the functioning of the library was endorsement to his reconfirmation.

Yet Mahesh Sharma went to the town planting stories in media that he would soon take actions as the reconfirmation of Dr. Rangrajan was illegal and in violation of code of conduct. He further added that reconfirmation was carried out despite the prohibition imposed by the Election Commission. It was transparently clear that he was taken for a ride by a bureaucrat who has different designs in his or her mind. The bureaucrat did not brief the minister with all relevant facts and legal position. Instead the minister was fed with half truths that would spur him to earn new accolades from the Sangh Parivar by undoing that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi had done during the year 2014.

The decision to reconfirm Dr. Rangrajan as director and absorb him permanently in the cadre was taken on January 8 2014 well before the Election Commission declared time table for the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 to bring in the code of conduct in force. The congress president was not involved. However the officials briefed the Election Commission on the issue was obvious. Otherwise there was no way that the Election Commission would have sent a missive to the culture ministry asking it not to announce the decision. The missive did not say not to decide on the routine administrative matters.

Even during the code of conduct, the government is not prohibited from moving ahead with routines. In any case, reconfirmation of Dr. Rangrajan was a routine matter and it could not deter the government from proceeding. After the Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the board meeting at his residence long after his taking over the reins of administration has closed the doors to any controversy. The minister remained silent.

However the bureaucrats used to the political culture of Yes Mr. Minister saw the opportunity to push out Dr. Rangrajan so as to fill the post with their favourites. The bureaucrats with the ministry were laced with new powers that they derived from the introduction of new style of functioning by the Prime Minister who told the bureaucrats, long before he met his cabinet colleagues first time, not to be pressurized by politicians but do what is right. But bureaucrats are so used to playing the games of cats and mice with politicians that they saw an opportunity to push their favourites by easing out Dr. Rangrajan who was responsible for weeding out the corrupt practices and had generated the huge capital pool for the library to gain economic independence in his functioning. He had to face stiff resistance to idea of passing of the economic powers from hands of bureaucratic hierarchy to him. His demands were not approved for months and had to struggle hard.

His tenure was marked by introduction of new system of preservation of important documents as well as writings, notes and letters of top leaders including prime ministers of the country. He created wealth of documents preserved in library in a manner that would not allow destruction either by time or termites. He was at pains for long years to mobilize documents from all sources that he could think of.
He worked diligently and with vivid imagination and did not allow illegal or unauthorized use of the facilities at disposal with the Trust. Perhaps that hurt many that every rupee spent on the works went to the work and not fritter away to private pockets.

Dr. Rangrajan was known for his upright nature even when he was teaching history at the Delhi University and was involved in other activities. The accolades he received from nearly fifty thousand attending seminars and conferences that he organized at the Library in three years speak volumes for his honesty and diligence.

But a bureaucrat with vested interest in mind saw the opportunity to push the minister take a shot at Sonia Gandhi for the appointment as it could please the Sangh Parivar and also the party. Mahesh Sharma, known for his conservative approach as was reflected in his remark that women staying out of their home at night was not the Indian culture, felled to the bait dangled before him that by removing Dr. Rangrajan he would hit out not only at Sonia Gandhi but also earn accolades from the Sangh. But his actions have become a major embarrassment for the prime minister

The official overlooked in briefing the minister to inform him that at the same meeting, the Cabinet Committee on Appointments that approved appointment of Dr. Rangrajan also confirmed the appointment of the Army chief Gen. Diler Singh .Thereby the minister also opened the issue of appointment of the Army chief with his claim of irregularity in appointment of one of the two approved as procedural routine at the same meeting. Dr. Rangrajan opted for his honour than to engage in legal battles but the minister has to now answer several embarrassing questions. He cannot even claim that he won the battle. Entire episode left a bitter taste in many mouths as the bureaucrat took the minister for a ride to achieve his or her intent of getting the seat vacated so it can be filled with a favourite one.