Lucknow, July 29 -- Amid a confrontation between energy minister AK Sharma and power employees, particularly union leaders, a post on X by his office appears to have escalated matters even as questions are raised about the reasons for the increasingly combative tone at a time when the minister has hit out at strikes and protests called by employee leaders in the power department on the privatisation issue. The post by the minister's office on X alleged that vested interests had joined hands against him. There was also a press release by his office to the same effect. The post, in essence, said that disruptive elements disguised as power employees were targeting Sharma because he did not yield to employees' union pressure. Despite multiple strikes and personal attacks on him, Sharma has acted with restraint, it said. "Among those who have taken a supari (contract to harm) against Energy Minister Shri A.K. Sharma are some disruptive elements disguised as electricity employees," the post said. The post/press-note also defended him against privatisation allegations, clarifying that the decision was made at the state level by a task force, not by Sharma alone. The note accused vested interests of having joined hands together against the minister. "The public and God stand with him in his mission to improve power services," it said. "His only intention is to serve the people better, including ensuring improved power supply," it added. There are murmurs about whether there is something more to Sharma's sudden public outburst over power supply-related issues in the state than meets the eye in the backdrop of the perception that there is growing disillusionment about who really wields power in the department. Until recently, Sharma was known for lavish praise of the state's power utility and its workforce. Just over a month ago, on June 13, Sharma took to X to publicly applaud the tireless efforts of the energy department's staff. "All our officers and employees are working with full dedication and commitment," he wrote, highlighting efforts to replace old wires, upgrade transformers, and carry out line maintenance at "war footing." He even tagged the Prime Minister, the chief minister, and top BJP leadership, projecting the power department as a frontline contributor to the "Naya Bharat, Naya UP" vision. That now stands in stark contrast to Sharma's tone in the past week. Last Wednesday, Sharma held a meeting at Shakti Bhavan where engineers and officers of the department were summoned. As soon as the meeting began, the minister voiced his anger and began scolding the officials. From UPPCL chairman Ashish Goyel to junior engineers, none were spared. "Stop this nonsense, I am not here to listen to your lies. The electricity department has started oppressing the public. You have turned blind, deaf, and dumb. You have no idea what the public is going through," he said, issuing a strict warning. On Saturday, apparently to substantiate his allegations, Sharma's office released an audio clip of a week-old telephonic exchange between a Basti-based superintending engineer (SE) and a retired additional commissioner. In the clip, the SE is heard misbehaving with a consumer (a retired government officer), who had merely called to complain about frequent outages in his locality. The audio release is being seen as the latest in a string of escalations. "For someone who once projected himself as a hands-on reformer, Sharma's latest remarks seem less like routine governance feedback and more like an escalation in an internal power struggle - one between a minister with limited levers and a bureaucratic setup largely outside his control," said a senior energy department official requesting anonymity. Insiders say Sharma, a former Gujarat-cadre IAS officer perceived to be close to PM Modi, has never quite found his footing in the Yogi Adityanath-led setup. The chief minister maintains tight control over key departments like energy, especially regarding bureaucratic appointments and transfers. Sharma, despite being the minister, cannot shift senior officers. "His latest statements and actions may reflect deepening frustration at being held publicly accountable for a power supply crisis and privatisation, while being administratively hobbled," they pointed out. A day after he pulled up officials in the Shakti Bhavan, Sharma warned power department officials while addressing a public meeting in his home district Mau and asserted that if he came to exercise his real powers, nobody would be able to save them. "Lord Krishna tried hard to reason with Kansa and Duryodhana, but eventually had to use the Sudarshan Chakra. Lord Ram pleaded with the ocean to build the Ram Setu, but later had to act because 'without fear, there is no love'. I too tried to reason for three years, but the time is up now," he said. "If officers in the power department think that the minister cannot transfer or suspend them, then let it be clear - if I, like Lord Ram, release the arrow, there will be no one left to save them, not even up to Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi," he added. Reacting to the minister's outburst against the department and the release of the audio clip, UP Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti led by veteran leader Shailendra Dubey said power department was being defamed to facilitate privatisation and urged the chief minister to keep the energy portfolio under him. In a sharp reaction to the employees' assertions, the minister's office put out its post against "vested interests" on Monday. According to insiders, the frequent complaints about power outages and tripping that he keeps on receiving from the public and their representatives from various parts of the state in recent days is not the only reason for the minister to be upset. "Moreover, he was also upset with the power employees keeping him hostage for hours at his Lucknow residence a few days ago, protesting against the privatisation decision," they said. The minister's office, in post on X, also expressed this pain though Dubey refuted the charge of employees misbehaving with the minister in any way. However, there is still not full clarity as to why the minister has assumed a critical tone all of a sudden. Sharma was not accessible for a comment despite repeated calls while UPPCL chairman Ashish Kumar Goel avoided making observations when contacted....