Srinagar, October 16: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken serious note of the controversy involving alleged verbal abuse of JKAS officer Beenish Wani by senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan during an online meeting and has written to the Chief Secretary to ensure that she is not subjected to any retaliatory action, sources said.
The development follows allegations of misconduct during a Mission YUVA review meeting held on October 14. Ranjan was accused of using derogatory language against Wani and directing officials to prepare an order for her suspension.
The incident has sparked widespread discussion across Jammu and Kashmir, with government employees, political leaders and social media users raising concerns over workplace dignity, accountability and the conduct of senior administrative officers.
National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq also weighed in on the controversy, linking it to the demand for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s full statehood. He argued that the existing administrative arrangement limits the elected government’s ability to take action against senior bureaucrats.
In a social media post, Sadiq said that if Jammu and Kashmir had full statehood, Ranjan would have been attached to the General Administration Department pending a formal inquiry into his conduct.
He maintained that the episode highlighted the need to restore full statehood and ensure accountability among officials holding senior positions.
The Chief Minister’s reported intervention comes amid growing demands for an impartial inquiry into the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the reported move to suspend Wani. The focus remains on ensuring that the officer does not face adverse consequences for the incident.
The controversy has also reignited debate over the division of powers between the elected government and the bureaucracy in Jammu and Kashmir. The issue remains politically significant following the region’s transition from statehood to Union Territorystatus in 2019.
