Srinagar, Oct 16 Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Karra on Friday urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to order a fair and time-bound inquiry to establish facts surrounding the conduct of senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan towards a junior colleague.
In a letter, Karra also urged the lieutenant governor to ensure that the female Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services officer, Beenish Wani, is not subjected to any form of “victimisation or retaliatory action”.
Ranjan courted controversy after he allegedly used abusive language against Wani during a review meeting on Wednesday and threatened to recommend her dismissal from service. A video of the exchange later surfaced on social media.
“Sinha ji, I am writing to bring to your attention the disturbing allegations surrounding the incident involving Ms Beenish Wani during the Mission YUVA review meeting on October 14. The video circulating publicly has raised serious concerns about the language allegedly used by a senior IAS officer towards a woman colleague and the reported directions to initiate action against her,” Karra said in his letter.
He said the officer’s alleged remarks about the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) are equally “troubling”.
“JKPSC is a vital constitutional institution, and any attempt to demean its credibility or undermine public confidence in its functioning deserves to be examined seriously,” he said.
Karra, the Central Shalteng MLA, said the matter calls for a personal intervention by the lieutenant governor.
“A fair and time-bound inquiry should be ordered to establish the facts, examine the complete recording and determine whether any service rules or standards of conduct have been violated. If the allegations are substantiated, appropriate action should follow, irrespective of the position held by the officer concerned,” he said.
At the same time, he asserted, it is important to ensure that Wani is not subjected to any form of victimisation or retaliatory action.
“Her professional interests must be protected, and any decision concerning her service should be taken strictly on merit and in accordance with the rules. I appreciate the pressures under which the administration functions, but accountability and mutual respect are essential to maintaining the morale of our officers and the credibility,” he added.
(PTI News)
