Omar Abdullah Takes Serious Note of IAS-JKAS Row, Chief Secretary Asked to Protect Woman Officer
Srinagar, KNT: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken ‘serious’ note of the controversy surrounding the alleged verbal abuse of JKAS officer Beenish Wani by senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan during an online meeting and has written to the Chief Secretary to ensure that the woman officer does not face any retribution, sources said.
The development comes amid mounting criticism over the alleged conduct of Ranjan during a Mission YUVA review meeting on October 14, in which he was accused of using derogatory language against Wani and directing officials to prepare her suspension order.
The incident has triggered widespread debate across Jammu and Kashmir, with government employees, political figures and social media users raising concerns over workplace dignity, administrative accountability and the exercise of authority by senior bureaucrats.
National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq linked the controversy to the demand for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s full statehood, arguing that the existing administrative structure limits the ability of an elected government to hold senior bureaucrats accountable through established mechanisms.
“Had J&K been a full state, Kumar Rajiv Ranjan would have been attached to the GAD pending a formal inquiry into his conduct,” Sadiq said in a social media post.
He said the episode underscored why the restoration of full statehood remained important, adding that those occupying influential positions must be held accountable for their conduct.
The Chief Minister’s reported intervention has focused on ensuring that Wani is not victimized or subjected to retaliatory action following the controversy. The demand for protection comes as calls grow for an impartial inquiry into the incident and the circumstances surrounding the reported threat of suspension.
The controversy has also brought renewed attention to the relationship between elected representatives and the bureaucracy in the Union Territory, where the division of administrative powers has remained a contentious issue following the loss of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in 2019. [KNT]
