Transferred for taking a stand? Haryana shifts Varnika’s father to low-key dept

Virender Kundu was transferred to a low-key department, which fuelled speculation that it could be result of Kundu standing up against Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala.

The Haryana government on Tuesday shifted additional chief secretary (tourism) Virender Kundu as ACS (science and technology), a relatively low-key department. The move has fuelled speculation that the transfer could be result of Kundu standing up against Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, whose son allegedly stalked Kundu’s daughter Varnika in Chandigarh recently.

Virender Kundu’s daughter Varnika, a DJ in Chandigarh, was allegedly stalked by Vikas Barala, the son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala. (HT File Photo)

Vikas Barala, the 23-year-old son of Subhash Barala, and his friend Ashish Kumar, 27, were arrested for stalking Varnika, who is a city-based DJ.

Reacting to Kundu’s transfer, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted that the officer has been “punished for standing up to BJP in quest for justice for his daughter, Varnika Kundu?”

Apart from Kundu, the Haryana government shifted out ACS (home) Ram Niwas, replacing him with ACS (food and supplies) Shyam Sunder Prasad.

The shifting of Niwas comes as a surprise, particularly since chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recently expressed satisfaction over the administrative and police measures taken to ensure the appearance of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh before a CBI court in Panchkula on August 25.

Violence and arson broke out after the Dera head was convicted by the CBI court for raping two of his female disciples. Over 38 persons were killed in the violence. If the handling of the issue is the reason behind Niwas’s shifting, one can expect heads to roll in the police department as well.

Jyoti Arora, awaiting posting orders, has been posted as principal secretary (higher education) vice Mahavir Singh, who goes as principal secretary (labour).

Member secretary, Fifth State Finance Commission and Commissioner, Ambala Division, Vivek Joshi has been given the additional charge of chief administrator, Trade Fair Authority of Haryana relieving Anand Mohan Sharan.

Shekhar Vidyarthi, director, environment, and chief executive, Haryana Khadi and Village Industries Board has been given the additional charge of director and special secretary, welfare of scheduled castes and backward classes department, managing director, Haryana Scheduled Castes Development Corporation and managing director, Haryana Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections Kalyan Nigam Limited.

Ashok Kumar Meena, director and special secretary, development and panchayats, director, rural development and commissioner, municipal corporation, Panchkula has been posted as director and special secretary, development and panchayats and director, rural development.

Garima Mittal, director, elementary education, and Rajnarayan Kaushik, deputy commissioner, Mahendragarh at Narnaul will swap their places of posting.