Known as Principal Secretary (Revenue) to some in Delhi and an unheard-of name for the rest of India, IAS officer Sanjeev Khirwar and his officer wife Rinku Dhugga became household names overnight. But all for the wrong reasons. The couple is accused of getting Delhi government-run Thyagraj Stadium vacated to walk with their dog.
As soon as a leading national daily was picked up by the readers on Thursday morning, the shocking revelations made way to social media and other publications. The immense outrage led to a spree of orders by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government.
By afternoon, all sports stadiums were ordered to stay open till 10 pm, while the officer-couple was transferred by evening. Khirwar has been transferred to Ladakh “with immediate effect” and his wife has been sent to Arunachal Pradesh by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Here’s Top 10 News18 Stories on the ‘Walking with Dog’ Controversy
• As soon as the controversy broke, News18 found more about this IAS officer and a similar incident that plagued Karnataka in 2017.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday issued an order to the sports department to keep all stadiums open till 10 pm after the news of IAS officer Sanjeev Khirwar taking his dog for a walk at Delhi’s Thyagaraj Stadium created a storm. READ MORE
• Later, when the officer-couple was transferred, News18 did a detailed story on MHA’s directive.
Government sources said that following the controversy, the MHA had sought a report from the Delhi chief secretary regarding the reported misuse of facilities at Thyagraj Stadium by Khirwar and his wife. A report was submitted later in the evening on the factual position to the MHA. “Necessary action will be initiated based on the report,” sources added. READ MORE
• News18 also explored how VIP culture in states can give rise to high-headedness among people in top positions.
In the past several years of the BJP government, PM Modi has made several appeals to end VIP culture and the mindset promoting such culture. READ MORE
• News18 dug up other incidents where common man has long suffered due to VIP culture. There have been worse incidents due to the menace, reported over time.
While courts and the public have often questioned such recurring incidents, they continue to happen. News18 takes a look at 10 such cases in the past. READ MORE.
• On a lighter note, News18 captured people’s ‘concern’ who wondered what will happen to Sanjeev Khirwar and Rinku Dhugga’s dog after their transfer.
While Twitter celebrated the quick action by the government, a few had another question: what about the dog? READ MORE
• News18 further explored if IAS couples can be separated by miles.
As the IAS couple have been transferred to two different states, here’s what the recent law for the Indian Civil Services couple states. READ MORE
• CNN-News18 raised some sharp questions in the evening on ‘No End to Babu Power Trips’ on its show ‘News Epicentre’. CLICK HERE
• On Friday evening, News18 spoke to various bureaucrats and sought their opinion. It turned out that the case did not surprise the bureaucratic fraternity. Multiple serving and retired bureaucrats told News18 that “some action” was expected from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) but they were divided over terming the transfers a punishment. READ MORE
• News18 also reached out to former lieutenant governor of Puducherry and top cop Kiran Bedi, who said that pictures of the pet on the running track are not acceptable.
“This shows his callousness towards government property, of which his service is the guardian,” she said about Delhi’s principal secretary (revenue) Sanjeev Khirwar who has now been sent off to Ladakh, while his wife, Rinku Dugga, who is also a bureaucrat, has been transferred to Arunachal Pradesh. Bedi advocated that the officer should go for a corrective therapy course and apologise in public. READ MORE
• Getting over the controversy, News18 on Saturday looked up for other IAS officers who hit the headlines for their hard work and dedication.
In the photos and videos shared on social media platforms, an IAS officer was seen walking barefoot through the muddled waters in the flood-affected area and interacting with the people devastated by the natural calamity. The photo was shared on Twitter by Awanish Sharan, a 2009-batch IAS officer posted in Assam. He applauded her effort by tweeting a “folded hands” emoji. READ MORE
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