The IAS officer was sent to Ladakh “with immediate effect” hours after it was claimed that athletes exercising at the Delhi government-run Thyagraj Stadium were being asked to leave early every day so that Delhi Principal Secretary (Revenue) Sanjeev Khirwar may walk his dog on the tracks.
Khirwar’s wife Rinku Dugga, who is also an IAS official in Delhi, has been relocated to Arunachal Pradesh, according to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) late Thursday.
The action occurred after a report by a media company, which was accompanied by an image of Khirwar and Dugga, as well as a video showing Khirwar and Dugga on the stadium tracks with their dog, aroused indignation across political lines throughout the day.
The MHA is reportedly mulling “additional action” against the two IAS officers, according to sources.
“The MHA had requested a report from the Delhi Chief Secretary on the news story of Sanjeev Khirwar and his wife Rinku Dugga abusing amenities at Thyagraj Stadium. Later that evening, the Chief Secretary filed a report on the facts. Meanwhile, the MHA has relocated Khirwar to Ladakh and Rinku Dhugga to Arunachal Pradesh. According to an MHA official, “necessary action will be taken based on the findings.”
Khirwar and Dugga are AGMUT cadre officers from the 1994 class. District magistrates report to Khirwar, who is one of the most senior officials in the Delhi administration. He is also the Secretary of the Department of the Environment. Dugga is now employed by the Delhi government as Secretary, Land and Building.
“I would like to apprise you that the activities of few officials are bringing a bad reputation to Delhi,” BJP leader Gupta stated in his letter to the L-G. As a result, you are being asked to guarantee that similar instances do not occur again.”
“Imagine what it must be like in the districts where the DC and SSP think they are lords and rulers of whatever they inspect,” Tewari said on Twitter.
When asked about his statements on Wednesday, Khirwar said that he “occasionally” takes his dog for a walk at the facility, but claimed that it affected the athletes’ workout routine. “If there’s anything offensive, I’ll stop it,” he continued.
