Defending her government's decision to suspend four senior officials for praising Amethi Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi [Images], Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday launched a veiled attack on the Governor T V Rajeshwar for criticising her action in a letter to her.

"It would have been appropriate if, instead of writing a letter to me on the basis of media reports, you (governor) had spoken to me to clarify the situation," Mayawati said in a letter to the Uttar Pradesh governor.

Releasing copies of her letter to the media in Lucknow, Mayawati defended the suspension of Faizabad Commissioner Venkateshwaralu, Sultanpur District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar and two others, saying the action was taken after they were found violating service rules by writing the foreword for the book Sultanpur: Kal Aaj Aur Kal, which glorified Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi and other members of Nehru-Gandhi family.

Governor Rajeshwar on Friday asked the UP government to revoke the disciplinary action against the officials.

The suspension has led to great resentment among the IAS officers of the state and they plan to take it up in the appropriate forum, sources said.

Mayawati claimed that the officials not only wrote messages in the book. but also 'directly and indirectly' helped in its publication.