Avinash Azad
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Friday said he had taken serious note of the alleged verbal abuse of a woman JKAS officer by a senior IAS officer during an official meeting, after a purported video of the incident went viral on social media.
In two posts on X, Abdullah said that, prima facie, the senior officer’s conduct was not in keeping with the standards expected of an IAS officer. He said he had spoken to the Chief Secretary and instructed him to ensure that the JKAS officer faced no retributive action.
However, the Chief Minister said he could not directly initiate action against the IAS officer, as control over IAS officers in a Union Territory rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Lok Bhavan and the Lieutenant Governor.
“I’ve seen the video of the online government meeting that is circulating on social media. Prima facie the conduct of the senior officer was not in keeping with the standards expected of a senior IAS officer & the subsequent threats issued to a junior JKAS officer only make matters worse. I’ve taken this up in the strongest possible terms with the Chief Secretary. Unfortunately as a UT control over IAS officers rests with Lok Bhavan but as CM I’ve instructed the CS to ensure the JKAS officer faces no retributive action,” Abdullah posted on X at 11:59 am.
In a follow-up post at 12:10 pm, he said that had Jammu and Kashmir been a full state, the officer concerned could have been attached to the General Administration Department pending an inquiry.
“Had J&K been a state the IAS officer seen abusing a young JKAS officer would have been attached to the General Administration Department pending an inquiry into his conduct. As a UT we expect the authorities with control over the IAS officers to set the right example & ensure abusive, threatening behaviour is not brushed under the carpet,” the Chief Minister wrote.
In the purported video, the senior IAS officer is allegedly heard using abusive language against the woman JKAS officer and directing officials to suspend her. The video’s authenticity has not been independently established, and the department concerned has disputed the footage, claiming it may have been selectively edited or digitally manipulated.
Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti criticised the officer’s alleged behaviour towards his female subordinate and urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the matter with the Government of India. “Such erratic and disdainful conduct cannot be tolerated. CM @OmarAbdullah must immediately take up the matter with the Government of India and demand strict action against the officer who is already facing allegations of issuing illegal gun licences,” Mehbooba posted on X, while sharing the video circulated by her daughter, Iltija Mufti.
Iltija Mufti also condemned the incident and sought the intervention of both the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor. “‘You are bloody shit, I can always talk to you like this’ — Rajeev Ranjan, IAS officer, abusing & threatening a lady KAS officer. How dare you use such derogatory, demeaning language? Take your god complex & dirty slurs elsewhere. We won’t tolerate this in Kashmir,” she posted on X.
She further alleged that local officers were being sidelined in the administration and police since 2019, and demanded the officer’s immediate suspension. “Since 2019, KAS & competent Kashmiri IAS officers are deliberately being elbowed out. There is a concerted effort to undermine local officers both in administration & police, thereby making them subservient to outside officers lording over them. Decency demands this man be suspended immediately. You are quick to fire Kashmiri employees. Hope you use the same yardstick here,” Iltija wrote, tagging the Chief Minister and Lieutenant Governor.
