Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij did it again

Kurukshetra, May 12 --- A four-minute video have gone viral today at WhatsApp and Facebook in which an SDO in Public Health Engineering Department posted at Kaithal 45 kms from here is heard commenting that “yeh to Aurangzeb Ka Raj Ho Giya” (It is like rule of Aurangzeb) when Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij refused to reconsider his order about his arrest.

          The incident happened at the monthly meeting of District Grievance Redressal Committee at Kaithal being presided by Anil Vij on Friday. While taking stock of the complaint lodged by Digvijay Singh of Kakheri village, a contractor working with the department, Mr. Vij, directed that the concerned SDO in the Public Health Engineering Department be suspended, booked and arrested in connection with a complaint of corruption against him.

SDO Ved Pal, posted in Guhla in Kaithal district, repeatedly pleaded he be given a chance to explain, but the minister refused to give him a hearing. Vij said that if the complaint was proved false, the official could file a case under section 182 IPC against the complainant.

Superintending Engineer AK Pahwa came in support of SDO and wanted the complaint to be inquired into before registration of a FIR. Vij said corruption is rampant in your entire department. “I am not going to listen anything “you can place your proof of innocence in the judicial court”, Vij added.

The official was seen pushed back by the security staff, but he stood up and tried to show some papers to the minister. Minister got enraged when SDO said that he was placing his version before the Minister in a “Sanvehdhanic Tareke se” (constitutional way), Vij thundered “arrest him” “court me ja kar batt karna Sanvehdhan ki” (Put your constitutional talk in the court).

“Oh bhai mera name Anil Vij hai pata hai tere ko. Nikalo ise ko yaha se” (Do you know my name is Anil Vij, turn him out from here), thundered the Minister.

When he was told to sit down by the security staff, he likened Vij’s refusal to the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and said “Yeh to Aurangzeb Ka Raj Ho Giya, Aurangzeb ka raj achha tha ese se” (It is like rule of Aurangzeb, Aurangzeb’s rule was better than this). Following this, the minister ordered the security staff to show him the door.

When contacted today Superintendent of Police, Kaithal, Astha Modi, said that no FIR has yet been registered against the SDO Public health Ved Pal. She said that action would be taken after receiving the confirmed proceedings of the meeting of grievance redressal committee.

It is not for the first time that Vij had lost his cool during the monthly District Grievance Redressal Committee anywhere. Earlier, he lost his cool at Kurukshetra about two years back, and then again ordered the Superintendent of Police at Sirsa to get out of the meeting which she refused to do.