The Central government on Tuesday slapped a show cause notice on controversial bureaucrat L V Saptarishi seeking his explanation for attacking two election commissioners even as Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad said Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav should have consulted him before going public on the issue.

Centre backs EC officials

The Department of Personnel served the notice on Saptarishi accusing him of violating the Civil Service (Conduct) Rules for his attack on Election Commissioners B B Tandon and N Gopalaswami that they attempted to countermand the poll in Chapra Lok Sabha constituency in last year's elections.

Saptarishi violated service conduct rules

It is believed to have been told in the show cause notice that the officer's conduct was unbecoming of a civil servant and that he should explain his conduct.

Saptarishi's letter to Union Law Minister H R Bhardwaj on the issue was later circulated by the railway minister at a
press conference,

Saptarishi is said to be consulting legal opinion for his reply to the notice.