IAS officer’s ‘derogatory remark’ towards woman bureaucrat sparks row in Kashmir

While reviewing a meeting, a senior IAS officer was heard making derogatory remarks at a woman officer and directing his subordinate to prepare her suspension order as she objected to his language.

The video of the heated exchange during a meeting for Mission YUVA has gone viral on social media with political leaders in the Valley demanding action against the IAS officer, Kumar Rajiv Ranjan, for the unparliamentary language.

The video is from a review meeting on October 14 chaired by Ranjan who is the Administrative Secretary, Labour and Employment.

Among those who attended the meeting virtually was Beenish Wani, a Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officer, working as an Assistant Director, Labour and Employment.

The exchange happened over the role of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in implementation of the programme. “Why do you need NRLM? You pass on your work to others,” Ranjan told the officer. “They (NRLM) are just a helping tool, they have never been an authority.”

Wani responded by saying: “Sir, NRLM is not the main authority, at least they need to help us… We have completed our target.”

This seemed to trigger Ranjan, who is heard shouting: “Shut up, don’t’ speak”.

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As the woman officer hit back, Ranjan asked her how dare she speak to him like that. “And how dare you speak to me like that,” Wani shot back.

At this point, Ranjan was heard using the derogatory remark aimed at Wani. As Wani pointedly told him he cannot talk to her in the manner, Ranjan was heard asking one of the officers in the room to type the suspension order of the KAS officer.

Wani responded by saying, “No issues, you can suspend me.”

Ranjan is then heard shouting, “get out, get out”. Wani, apparently leaving the meeting, said, “To hell with you.”

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This is not the first time that Ranjan, a 2010 batch IAS officer, has landed in a controversy. He was suspended in 2020 after he was arrested by the CBI for his alleged role in an arms licence scam. Last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also registered a case against Ranjan and his family members for allegedly amassing assets more than their known sources of income.

While Ranjan’s phone was switched off, Wani told The Indian Express: “What can I say? It is very unfortunate on his part.”

Political leaders in Kashmir, though, have called for action against the IAS officer.

“That is how a senior IAS officer talks with a woman KAS officer…” ruling National Conference leader and Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah said. “He raised his voice. She raised her dignity… This is a grown man… threatening a woman’s career because she asked to be allowed to finish a sentence.”

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Ruhullah said, “This is what abrogation of Art 370 has brought upon us. An assault on dignity at every level. Even the officers in administration behave like conquerors,” he said. Tagging the L-G and the Chief Secretary, he said, “If she is touched (action is taken against her) for holding her dignity, it will have consequences.”

Targeting Ranjan, PDP leader Iltija Mufti said, “How dare you use such derogatory, demeaning language? Take your god complex and dirty slurs elsewhere. We won’t tolerate this in Kashmir.” She wrote on X: “There is a concrete effort to undermine local officers both in administration and police, thereby making them subservient to outside officers lording over them.”

Calling for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s intervention, she wrote: “Decency demands this man (Ranjan) be suspended immediately. You are quick to fire Kashmiri employees. Hope you use the same yardstick here.”

Pulwama legislator and senior PDP leader Waheed Para called the episode deeply unfortunate. “If a woman officer can be threatened and treated this way, imagine the plight of ordinary people… many officers from outside behave as though we are their subjects rather than citizens with constitutional rights.”