Senior Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who had shot into fame by bringing out the details of the DLF-Vadra land deal and subsequently cancelling it, on Thursday met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for nearly 40 minutes. The meeting assumes significance as the upright Mr Khemka – who has been transferred over 45 times in his career – had expressed his displeasure at being recently transferred from the Transport Department to the Archaeology and Museums Department.
The officer, who in his tweet on Wednesday had objected to being labelled a “whistle-blower” saying he just did “what is expected of public servants”, had upon his recent transfer on April 1 tweeted that he had: “Tried hard to address corruption and bring reforms in Transport despite severe limitations and entrenched interests.” He had described the moment of his transfer as “truly painful”.
Though Mr Khemka was earlier scheduled to meet the CM on Wednesday, the meeting was postponed by a day. According to the Chief Minister’s Media Adviser it was a “routine meeting”.
But soon after the meeting Mr. Khemka tweeted: “three types of karmas we see today very well portrayed in the great epic Mahabharata, illustrated by Duryodhana, Bhishmapitamah and Arjuna.”
Incidentally, Mr Khemka continues to face a chargesheet filed against him by the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda led Congress Government in the State for actions initiated by him in the DLF-Vadra land deal case. Following the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report in which the Hooda Government had been indicted, Mr Khema had noted that while his action in the land-licence deal stands “vindicated” he continues “to suffer the stigma of charge sheet”.
Lamenting that “real culprits sit in judgment over me”, Mr Khemka had hoped that that “my pain and suffering may help to detox and cleanse the body politic”.
He had also lamented that “many issues” had been left “untouched” in the CAG Report.
Mr Khattar had last month clarified during a press meet that the BJP Government in Haryana was looking into the issue of dropping the charge sheet against Mr. Khemka. “However, we will decide on all such issues once and for all. Honest people will not suffer during our rule,’’ he had claimed.
