SRINAGAR: The verbal abuse of a woman JKAS officer by a senior IAS officer during an online review meeting of Mission YUVA in Srinagar has triggered a political row in Jammu and Kashmir with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah writing to Chief Secretary to ensure that the officer faces no retribution while former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has demanded strict action against the IAS officer, Rajiv Ranjan.
All J&K Junior Scale KAS Association (AJJSKA) has gone on one-day pen down strike and sought an apology from the IAS officer over his misconduct. “Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken serious note of the matter and written to the Chief Secretary to ensure that the JKAS officer faces no retribution,” NC spokesman and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said in a post on X.
He said accountability must prevail, and no one should be allowed to misuse their position to intimidate or victimise others.
On Wednesday, a heated exchange took place between a senior IAS officer Rajeev Ranjan and a woman J&K Administrative Service (JKAS) officer Beenish Wani during an online review meeting of Mission Yuva chaired by Ranjan, who is serving as Administrative Secretary, Labour and Employment, at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar.
Beenish Wani, a 2015-batch JKAS officer, was attending the meeting through video conferencing and was briefing Ranjan and other officials about the targets achieved by her office when the heated exchange of words took place.
A purported video clip of the confrontation has since gone viral on social media in which it can be seen that Ranjan questioned the officer on need for assistance from the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), asking why the assignment had been given to the Assistant Director if the work was to be carried out by another agency.
"They are just helping tools. They (NRLM) are not the main authority,” he said.
As the woman officer attempted to explain her position, the exchange escalated, with the senior officer repeatedly asking her to remain silent.
As the woman officer tried to explain, the IAS officer repeatedly asked her to shut up.
Here is the exchange of words between the two officers…
IAS officer: Shut up shut up.
Woman officer: Sir please, let me speak. You are not letting me speak. How can I explain myself.
IAS officer: Shut up.
Woman: You are screaming at me. You are not letting me to explain.
IAS officer: Madam remain silent.
Woman officer: I will not remain silent. Because I need to explain myself.
IAS officer: How dare you talk to me like this.
Woman officer: How dare you talk to me like that.
IAS officer: You are bloody shit. I can always talk to you like this.
Woman officer: You cannot call me shit.
IAS officer: O Madam, it is enough. I will suspend you . Get out
IAS officer: To hell with you.
IAS officer: Record this in her suspension order. Make her suspension order and state it she said “to hell with you” in front of so many people.
The conduct of the IAS officer during the meeting evoked strong criticism.
Notably, the IAS officer Rajeev Ranjan is facing a CBI investigation in Jammu and Kashmir arms licence scam. In November 2024, the Centre granted sanction to prosecute 2010-batch IAS officer over alleged irregularities in the issuance of arms licences.
Meanwhile, all J&K Junior Scale KAS Association (AJJSKA) has strongly condemned the verbal abuse of the woman officer.
The Interim Body of the JKAS Association has decided to observe a one-day pen-down strike to protest against the humiliation of a woman JKAS officer during an official meeting on October 14.
The Association said the protest was aimed at defending the dignity, self-respect and institutional honour of the fraternity. It urged members to stand united in solidarity, stating that an attack on the dignity of one officer concerns the entire fraternity.
The association alleged that the incident was not isolated and claimed that the officer had a pattern of using unparliamentary and demeaning language in an official capacity.
It demanded an impartial inquiry into the matter, protection of the affected officer against any retaliatory action and a public apology from the IAS officer.
NC spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said had J&K been a full state, Kumar Rajiv Ranjan would have been attached to the GAD pending a formal inquiry into his conduct.
“This is precisely why the fight for the restoration of full statehood is so important, and why those occupying influential positions continue to undermine it,” he said.
The PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said such erratic and disdainful conduct cannot be tolerated. "CM 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,” she said.
National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah criticised the manner in which the senior officer addressed his female colleague. "That's how a senior IAS officer in J&K — Administrative Secretary, Labour & Employment — dealt with a woman KAS officer who wouldn't be shouted down in front of a room full of officers," Ruhullah said in a post on X.
"He raised his voice. She raised her dignity. He reached for the only weapon a bully in office has: her job. This is a grown man with a Secretary's chair threatening a woman's career because she asked to be allowed to finish a sentence," he said.
"She was composed. She was clear. She didn't flinch. That is what dignity and self respect looks like. He is what a problem looks like,” Ruhullah said.
"This is what abrogation of Art 370 has brought upon us. An assault on dignity at every level. Even the officers in administration behave like conquerors. @OfficeOfLGJandK @DullooAtal — if she is touched for holding her dignity, it will have consequences (sic)," added the MP.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labour and Employment issued a clarification regarding the video clips circulating on social media.
The department expressed concern over what it described as the circulation of “selectively edited video clips” without the complete context of the proceedings.
It said the clips were unverified and that selective editing of internal administrative discussions could create a misleading impression of the actual events. The department stated that the matter would be taken to its logical conclusion in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.