Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday sought to play down reports of differences with State’s Home Minister Anil Vij over the recent transfers of IPS officers, saying the issue has been resolved.
“We have spoken, there’s no problem and the matter has been resolved. Speculations are being made as there's no tax on speculation,” Mr. Khattar told journalists in response to a question on the dissent note sent by Mr. Vij to the Chief Minister over transfer of 9 IPS officers without taking him into confidence.
Last week, the State government had transferred 9 IPS officers even when Mr. Vij had mentioned his dissent against the transfers. The Home Minister later stated that even though the Chief Minister has the power to overrule him, but in the wake of the dissent note, before taking a final decision he should had been kept in the loop.
Mr. Vij had not only expressed his displeasure over the transfers of IPS officers, but had also pointed fingers over the functioning of the State’s intelligence agency — the CID — and had sought an explanation from the senior officers for not responding to his queries.
Amid the ‘tug of war', which is being seen as an embarrassment in the political circles, sources said that Mr. Khattar recently met party's central leadership to discuss the matter among other issues.
Meeting with Nadda
He met the BJP’s working president J.P. Nadda in New Delhi. “I met Mr. Nadda to discuss Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and forthcoming elections in Delhi,” said Mr. Khattar, adding that “any other inference about the deliberations during the meeting were mere speculations.”
Party’s Haryana in-charge Anil Jain, meanwhile said that the matter is being projected out of proportions. “I have spoken to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister. It’s not such a big matter,” he said.