The ministry of home affairs has been accused by Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra of only paying lip service to the northeast after it transferred IAS officer Rinku Dugga, wife of IAS officer Sanjeev Khirwar, to Arunachal Pradesh after it was reported that they closed the Thyagraj Stadium for athletes so that they could walk their pet inside. Mahua called on Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu to condemn the MHA’s exploitation of Arunachal Pradesh as a “dumping ground for your garbage.”
The deployment of a “errant Delhi bureaucrat” to Arunachal Pradesh, according to the Lok Sabha MP, is a “disgrace” to the state. Ladakh has taken over Khirwar.
The Aam Aadmi Party administration issued an order shortly after The Indian Express reported on the IAS couple’s usage of the Delhi government-run stadium, ensuring that athletes are not inconvenienced. The IAS couple’s transfer order was issued later that day, on Thursday. Rinku Dugga’s new position is in Arunachal Pradesh, while Sanjeev Khirwar has been relocated to Ladakh.
On Thursday, a photo of an IAS couple walking their dog on a deserted field went viral, and the subsequent transfer was interpreted by many as a punishment. While former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah questioned why the errant IAS officer’s relocation to Ladakh, which is a lovely destination, could be considered as a punishment posting, Mahua Moitra questioned why the errant IAS officer’s appointment to Arunachal Pradesh should be seen as a punishment posting.
