SRINAGAR: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday called for the removal of IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan from Jammu and Kashmir over his alleged misconduct towards a woman officer, saying the incident had embarrassed the administrative community.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah said he felt ashamed after watching a video of the incident circulating on social media. He described the language allegedly used against the woman officer as unacceptable and said the conduct fell short of the standards expected of a senior civil servant.
Abdullah said government officers were responsible for listening to public grievances and helping people resolve their problems, rather than humiliating them. He said Ranjan should be reprimanded and removed from Jammu and Kashmir.
Asked whether similar incidents had occurred during his tenure as Chief Minister, Abdullah said neither officers nor ministers had the right to insult people, stressing that their responsibility was to serve the public and address its difficulties.
Backing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks that the incident would not have occurred had Jammu and Kashmir retained statehood, Farooq Abdullah said he would have taken more stringent action against the officer.
“He would not merely have been attached. He would have been thrown out,” Abdullah said, adding that he would have sent the officer out of Jammu and Kashmir had he been in office.
He also said the incident reflected changes in the administrative functioning of Jammu and Kashmir since 2019.
The controversy concerns a purported video showing a heated exchange between Ranjan, an IAS officer, and Beenish Wani, an Assistant Director in the Employment Department and a JKAS officer. The exchange reportedly took place during a review meeting on Mission YUVA and concerned the role of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
Ranjan allegedly used abusive language towards Wani and threatened to recommend her dismissal from service. The allegations have prompted calls for action against the officer.
