Haryana minister storms out of meeting after spat with woman cop

Haryana’s outspoken Health and Sports Minister Anil Vij on Friday ordered a woman police officer to “get out” of a meeting. When she refused, he himself stormed out in a huff.

The outburst came after both were locked in an argument over liquor smuggling in Fatehabad district.

Vij walked out of the meeting after Fatehabad district police chief Sangeeta Kalia, an Indian Police Service officer whom he ordered to “get out”, refused to leave. 

A video grab shows the minister getting agitated while asking Kalia about a complaint pertaining to unauthorised sale of liquor. 

On being asked about the steps being taken to check the illegal liquor sale, Kalia claimed around 2,500 cases were registered under the Excise Act in the past 10 months, which was a “record”. 

Vij was apparently not satisfied with the reply and the two began to argue. The minister accused the police to be hand in glove with the liquor mafia.

Kalia, incensed, replied that it was the government which issues license for the sale of alcohol.

Now enraged, the minister asked Kalia to leave the meeting room, but the officer refused to do so.

Following the outburst, Vij walked out and said, “I will not come here again as long as she is the SP here. I will complain to the chief minister. Her attitude is not good. I had taken up the matter with her two or three times but her approach was very casual.”

Deputy Commissioner NK Solanki and other district officers were present at the meeting but did not intervene. Solanki followed the minister till his car and tried to stop him from leaving but the minister was adamant.

Kalia did not say much about the incident and drove away after the meeting. Asked by the media for her reaction, Kalia said in Hindi: “There is nothing to say... You know everything.”

Image: A combination photo of Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij walking out of a meeting after an argument with Fatehabad SP Sangeeta Kalia who refused to leave even when the minister told her to get out in Fatehabad, Haryana on Friday. Photograph: PTI