Haryana transfers woman SP after spat with minister

IPS officer Sangeet Kalia, SP of Fatehabad district, was on Saturday shunted out, a day after a spat with Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij during a meeting, triggering angry reactions against him from the opposition and on the social media.

The minister had on Thursday stormed out of a meeting of the District Grievances and Public Relations Committee after the police officer refused to follow his order to leave the venue following heated exchanges between them. The video of their spat went viral on social media.

Official sources said government has decided to transfer Ms. Kalia from her current post as Fatehabad SP, adding formal orders will be issued soon.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday told reporters in Karnal that he had taken cognizance of the matter and it will be dealt with appropriately.

The spat drew sharp reactions from various quarters, with opposition slamming Mr. Vij over his comments with a lady officer, while Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes, P.L. Punia, demanded that the Minister should be removed.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the Minister should have maintained decorum while speaking to a lady officer and deprecated his behaviour with her.

Notably, Mr. Vij, who is known for his outspoken nature even taking on his own government, said that he had been getting complaints of drug mafia and liquor mafia being active.

“Yesterday, one NGO complained to police, but she (Kalia) shouted back at the NGO telling it why you are complaining to the Minister, that itself shows that she is not cooperating,” he said.

Following it with a tweet, Mr. Vij said that he is ready to pay any price and even ready to make sacrifice to ensure justice to people who are oppressed due to indifferent attitude of administration.

“I have spoken to the CM. I want to make one thing very clear that I will continue to fight against those officials who do not work,” he said.

The incident drew sharp reactions on social media, with several coming out in support of Ms. Kalia, saying the Minister should have exercised restraint.