Congress slams BJP-led Haryana govt over woman IPS officer's transfer

NEW DELHI: Congress today came down hard on Haryana government over the transfer of IPS officer Sangeet Kalia following a spat with state Health Minister Anil Vij during a meeting, saying the action reflected the "anti-women mindset" of the BJP-led dispensation.

Condemning the action, Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza said the BJP government proclaims from the rooftops about 'beti badhao, beti padhao' seeking to empower the girl child, but acts against a girl from an ordinary family who has come up in life against all odds.

"The action shows the anti-women mindset of the BJP government in Haryana. Instead of punishing the minister, the officer has been shunted out," she told reporters here.

Claiming that this was not the first such action by the Haryana government, Oza said it had also proceeded against a woman Chief Medical Officer (CMO) following a complaint by another minister.

The Congress leader demanded Kalia to be brought back to her original position and the Chief Minister to "punish" the minister after going into the matter.

The minister had on Thursday stormed out of a meeting of the District Grievances and Public Relations Committee after Kalia, SP of Fatehabad district, refused to follow his order to leave the venue following heated exchanges between them. The video of their spat went viral on social media.