Gurugram: The newly elected MLAs and ministers in Haryana have taken full charge of their responsibilities right after the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for the third term earlier this month.
They are pulling up government officials for irregularities, suspending erring officers and even engaging in public spats with them, with some of them making sure that they are seen and heard doing so on social media. Not just BJP MLAs, some in the Opposition are also using similar techniques.
Warning to senior government officers in Gurugram, suspension of bus stand in-charge at Ambala, calls to officials for people’s works on Facebook live, and spats with officials, several Haryana Ministers and MLAs, including some from the Opposition Congress, seem to be going into overdrive after the formation of the BJP government in Haryana for the third time.
Last week, a video, where Rao Narbir Singh, BJP MLA from the Badshahpur assembly constituency in Gurugram district, was seen issuing a stern warning to government officials at a meeting against indulging in corruption, was widely circulated on social media.
The MLA, who is also Haryana’s new minister for industries and commerce, and environment, told top district officials that they could either leave Gurugram or be prepared for jail, if they were found taking bribes.
“I have already said this in a meeting at my residence that if anyone comes with a complaint of corruption… I will make the official return the money and ensure that he is brought to book. You have looted the whole Gurugram. You have time till Diwali. You can talk to your Aakas (patrons). You won’t find anyone who can save you from Narbir Singh. Now, either Narbir Singh will remain or your ways will remain,” he was heard saying in the video.
Rakesh Kumar Fazilpur, a BJP leader from Gurugram, posted the clip on his X account with the caption: “Tiger is back”.
Tiger is Back #RaoNarbirSingh #Haryana #BJP pic.twitter.com/8KgnSTQ57I
— Rakesh Yadav Fazilpur (@RFazilpur) October 20, 2024
Anil Vij, Haryana’s energy, transport and labour minister, shared a video of himself showing his Rs 55,000 electricity bill on his phone that was paid by him immediately after learning that he had been assigned the charge of the energy ministry. He also posted several other videos of his trip to Delhi via bus.
“At 12.05 in the night, I got a message on my WhatsApp that I have been given the responsibility of three departments—Labour, Power and Transportation. My first thought was that now that I am the energy minister, I should check if my own electricity bill is pending. At 12.32.47 at night, I paid my electricity bill online,” Vij is seen talking to media persons in the video.
“Today, I am travelling to Delhi from Ambala by bus. At the Ambala Cantt bus stop, I saw a lot of irregularities, like public spaces encroached by shops, dirty toilets, fans not working and irregular parking of buses. I have instructed the transport commissioner to take action with respect to encroachment by shops at bus stands. I have asked food samples to be taken from shops at the Karnal and Ambala bus stands.”
Vij also suspended the depot incharge, while he was present at the Ambala Cantt bus stand, after spotting unclean toilets, non-functional fans and other irregularities.
MLAs in the Opposition are also adopting the same strategy.
A Congress MLA has, in fact, been posting clips of himself reprimanding government officials in his constituency on social media. Gokul Setia, first-time MLA from Sirsa, is an avid Facebook user, who even posted an image of his election certificate online. In several clips posted on his Facebook account in the reel format, Setia can be seen and heard talking to officials via call with his phone in speaker mode.
In one such video, he asked Sirsa’s chief medical officer (civil surgeon) why the usual pre-bid meetings to discuss the purchase of health department items had been stopped.
Even as the voice on the other side told him that the meetings had never stopped and another one would be held soon, Setia said that he had heard that the meetings were not being conducted and that there had been irregularities in purchases. He warned the officer to ensure transparency.
In another video, he is seen pulling up an official of the municipal council for discrepancies in the property tax records.
Besides these, videos of Jassi Petwar, Congress MLA from Narnaund, and Krishan Middha, BJP MLA from Jind, are also being circulated on social media. Both can be seen warning officials of dire consequences if they didn’t listen to people’s woes.
A similar interaction between a Congress MLA and a government official has resulted in the two lodging formal complaints against each other.
Naresh Selwal, who represents the Uklana constituency, has accused Ravindra Kumar, the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of the power corporation of misbehaviour and disrespect towards him, besides causing trouble to the public. Selwal has written to the chief minister, power minister, chief secretary, and chief engineer of the electricity department, demanding strict action against the official.
On the other hand, the SDO has written to the executive engineer (XEN) of the department, also accusing the MLA of misbehaviour.
The two letters from both sides have been widely circulated on social media.
What the complaints said
Selwal claimed that he had received numerous complaints from the people in Uklana regarding electricity issues. He repeatedly called the SDO to address the problems, but the calls went unanswered and were never returned, he alleged.
On 22 October, around 3 pm, the MLA visited the SDO’s office. Upon arriving, he saw 10-15 people standing outside, who told him that they wanted to meet the SDO to discuss their issues, but were not being allowed to enter the office.
The MLA said that when he asked for a meeting, he was not given an appointment. Eventually, he forced his way into the office, which angered the SDO.
According to the MLA’s complaint, the official then asked who had allowed him to come in. To this, the MLA allegedly said, “I am an elected representative of the people. You don’t answer my calls, and now that I’ve come to meet you, I am not being allowed inside.” In response, the SDO allegedly raised his voice, and said that there are 90 MLAs and he cannot answer everyone’ calls.
On the other hand, in his letter to the XEN, the SDO has claimed that the MLA barged into his office with 8-10 people and, without any discussion, threatened him, saying that he is an MLA and could have him removed from his post within two minutes, and warning him to behave himself.
The official further mentioned that the MLA’s associates also threatened him, saying, “Come to our village, we’ll catch and beat you, and no one will come to save you.”
He added that the MLA’s manner of speaking was inappropriate for someone in public office.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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