Randeep Surjewala slams Haryana CM for staying mum over repeated attacks on IAS officer

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday slammed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar over staying mum on the repeated attacks on a woman IAS officer. Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader in a press release stated the series of attacks on the Backward Class woman IAS officer who resigned due to "personal safety." Slamming the Haryana CM, Surjewala said that he has remained mum. Adding that even after a murderous attack was attempted on the officer and sister with iron rods, the Chief Minister still stays 'mum'. 

Raising questions towards the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government, the Congress leader in the press release asked: "What is the reason behind the constant, deadly attacks, the exploitation, and atrocities on the only backward class woman IAS officer from the Gurjar community?" He further questioned, "Why are the BJP Governments of UP-Haryana not investigating the conspiracy behind the murder attempts on Haryana IAS Officer?"

He also questioned the BJP government over not taking a decision over the change of cadre of the IAS officer from Haryana to Uttar Pradesh. According to Surejewala, "State-sponsored Goondaism" has crossed all limits. He accused the Haryana government of their "sheer incompetence" in this matter. 

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About the attack on woman IAS officer 

According to the press release shared by the Congress leader,  a murderous attack was launched with iron rods on the IAS officer and her sister on May 30, in which her sister has been injured. Mentioning the pattern of attacks, the press release said that in December 2017, the IAS officer was posted as SDM, Dabwali, when an incident of criminal trespass into her house took place. "The police took no action. When the matter was raised in public forums and through social media/newspapers, an FIR was finally lodged on December 24, 2017," it said. 

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Later, in June 2018, the IAS officer had submitted a complaint of physical exploitation and repeatedly raised it. However, as per the release, the Khattar government took no action. Later, on April 17, 2019, the IAS officer had publicly written about the attacks on her as also the prevailing threats to her safety on social media. However, no action was taken. Later in 2019, the IAS officer had found a needle hidden in her food.

Recently, on May 7 this year, the IAS officer and her sister were not served food and had to sustain themselves on liquids, which the former had disclosed. The release further said that on May 8 and May 12, their windows were broken. On May 30, a murderous attack was launched on the officer and her sister. According to Surjewala, in her resignation from the post of an IAS officer, she had mentioned that she was "forced to resign from the Indian Administrative Service for fear of her own personal safety."

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The Congress leader alleged that the 2014 Haryana Cadre IAS Officer has been subjected to repeated attacks, exploitation, and atrocities under Khattar Government. He also said that the pattern of the repeated attacks appear to indicate that high ups in the Khattar government are giving direct or indirect encouragement and protection to her attackers.

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