Spat between Anil Vij and Sangeeta Kalia creates uproar in Haryana Assembly

Pandemonium prevailed in the Haryana Assembly on Monday as Congress slammed State Minister Anil Vij over the transfer of a woman IPS officer who was involved in a verbal spat with him and demanded his resignation even as he asserted that a case could be registered against her.

Heated exchanges took place among ruling BJP and Congress MLAs on the first day of the Winter Session of the Assembly over the issue while Chief Minster Manohar Lal Khattar came to the rescue of his minister and appealed to opposition parties to avoid making it a Dalit versus others issue.

"The issue should not be linked with gender. The transfer of IPS officer Sangeeta Rani Kalia, who was SP of Fatehabad district, as Commandant 4th IRB at Manesar should not be seen as any kind of punishment," Khattar said.

During the Zero Hour, Geeta Bhukkal, a Congress Dalit MLA, said the Minister had spoken "inappropriately" to the Dalit woman officer and demanded that he should either apologise for his behaviour or resign. She said a case is made against the Minister under the SC/ST (Prevention of atrocities) Act following which Vij got up from his seat to give clarification.

The State Health Minister told the House he had a video clip to back his claims that the SP had allegedly threatened the NGO, which had brought to his notice the issue of illicit liquor trade in the area.

"A case can be registered against the SP for threatening the complainant NGO," the Minister said.

He said, "It is dangerous if you know half truth. Some people are trying to politicise the issue and give it a different colour."

Kalia was on Saturday shunted out, a day after a spat with Vij, becoming the second woman IPS officer to be unceremoniously shifted in two months. The move triggered angry reactions against him from the opposition and on social media.

Vij had on Thursday stormed out of a meeting of the District Grievances and Public Relations Committee at Fatehabad after the police officer refused to follow his order to leave the venue following heated exchanges between them.

Vij, who is the Chairman of the District Grievances and Public Relations Committee, said, "The NGO took up the issue...they said they work against the drug and liquor mafia despite enormous personal risk, but police don't help them and instead they are threatened."

"I suggested that a joint team of the Excise department, Health department and police could carry out raids in the area bordering Punjab, where the drug and liquor mafia is active.

No sooner I made the suggestion, the SP (Kalia) threatened the complainant," Vij said. The Minister said he "politely" told the SP that he was the Chairman of the Committee and the issue was on the agenda.

"Tell me what message goes out to public if a district police chief threatens someone who highlights wrongdoings?" he asked the Chair.

"I told the SP if she was threatening them in my presence, it only proved the allegations of the NGO that police were not helping them. When she did not pay heed, I adjourned the meeting and came out as I did not want the matter to become worse," he said.

The Minister rejected allegations that he made casteist remarks against the officer. Vij also said he has written to the DGP, seeking protection for the workers of the NGO.

As opposition members continued interrupting the Minister, Chief Minister Khattar said, "The issue should not be linked with caste or gender. This is an administrative issue. A proper system is in place for running things.

"Who is at fault and who isn't can be a matter of debate but I am not going into that. One thing is clear that Chairman should have the final say (in the meeting)," Khattar said.

Defending Vij, the Chief Minister said it was graceful of the Minister that he came out of the meeting.  Chief Minister Khattar said he had seen the video clipping of the incident and was pained by the argument.

On the transfer of Kalia, Khattar told the Assembly that transfers are administrative matters and "it doesn't mean that we are handing out any kind of punishment (to the officer)." However, Bhukkal countered him saying "it's not just a matter involving a Dalit, but how (the minister) behaved with the woman officer, especially when the BJP government talks about Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, is unfortunate".

State Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, who belongs to the Dalit community, and other BJP legislators sought to turn the tables on Congress, asking it to answer what it did to protect the interests of the Dalit community during its tenure.

Independent MLA Jai Prakash also backed Vij, saying the IPS officer had no right to "rebuke any member from the public who had gone in the meeting with a complaint." INLD's Abhay Chautala also targeted Congress, saying that said party's Kuldeep Sharma had allegedly made an objectionable remark against a Dalit MLA during the last term of the House.

Heated exchanges followed as supporters of Chautala and Sharma joined in. 

Chief Minister Khattar said he had seen the video clipping of the incident and was pained by the argument. On the transfer of Kalia, Khattar told the Assembly that transfers are administrative matters and "it doesn't mean that we are handing out any kind of punishment (to the officer)."

However, Bhukkal countered him saying "it's not just a matter involving a Dalit, but how (the minister) behaved with the woman officer, especially when the BJP government talks about Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, is unfortunate".

State Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, who belongs to the Dalit community, and other BJP legislators sought to turn the tables on Congress, asking it to answer what it did to protect the interests of the Dalit community during its tenure.

Independent MLA Jai Prakash also backed Vij, saying the IPS officer had no right to "rebuke any member from the public who had gone in the meeting with a complaint." INLD's Abhay Chautala also targeted Congress, saying that said party's Kuldeep Sharma had allegedly made an objectionable remark against a Dalit MLA during the last term of the House.