The Bihar government has rejected a recommendation to suspend an official who sported a tilak on his forehead.

Agriculture Special Secretary C K Anil had recommended the suspension of Deputy Director (Monitoring) Laxmikant Mishra for reporting to duty with a tilak.

This sparked protests as hundreds of government officials reported to work sporting red tilaks. Even the employees unions condemned and threatened to launch an agitation demanding against Anil.

The employees' unions leaders said that nowhere in the dress code was wearing a tika or tilak prohibited.

Sensing trouble, the Bihar government made it clear that there was no restriction on government officials.

"No action could be initiated against government officials for sporting tilak during office hours because there is no such restriction," State Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah said on Saturday.

"I won the battle thanks to the support of hundreds of officials, who protested against the high handedness of Anil,"  Mishra told rediff.com on Saturday.

The protesting officers surrounded Anil on Friday and shouted slogans against him.

"We virtually locked Anil in his office for over two hours," said a senior official.

But till now Anil has refused to comment on the issue.

In August, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had introduced a new dress code for government officers. The government circular had directed that the dress should be strictly adhered to and warned "non-compliance will be taken seriously."