Chandigarh: Haryana’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the putative No. 2 in the government, Anil Vij, are once again at loggerheads.
Vij, the minister in charge of the home and health portfolios, has taken exception to recent decisions taken by the Chief Minister’s Office regarding the containment of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.
Though the two BJP leaders have long been uncomfortable with one another, a fresh spate of misgivings emerged after Khattar announced a host of relaxations after the nationwide lockdown was extended until 17 May. Vij has vehemently opposed the relaxations.
The Haryana government had, on 3 May, decided to open shops in non-containment zones, in accordance with the guidelines of the government of India, followed by long curfew relaxation hours and use of public transport in green zones.
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Vij’s ‘fears’
Vij made public statements about the “fearful” results of a sudden opening of the lockdown. “The chief minister has said that markets will open. Frankly I am scared,” he told mediapersons Thursday, four days after the announcement.
“The onus is now on the public to maintain social distancing while carrying out their work. Don’t expect policemen to approach the public to maintain a distance of six feet,” Vij added, suggesting that the pace of relaxations needed to be slow.
Vij also said all decisions regarding the epidemic were being taken by the CM, and he was not consulted. “Maybe the chief minister has a broader vision than me, but I cannot think like that,” he said.
— ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA (@anilvijminister) May 5, 2020
Vij did not respond to ThePrint’s requests for a comment.
Sources said Vij is also unhappy over not being made a part of the daily decision-making process on Covid-19, despite holding both home and health portfolios.
“He is generally not called for the chief minister’s meetings. Civil servants who are working under Vij in these ministries attend these meetings, and in that, sense the minister is bypassed,” said a senior official who did not wish to be identified.
Sealing the Delhi-Haryana border
Sealing the state border between Delhi and Haryana was also Vij’s idea, as he believed the infection was still flowing into the state through it.
Vij went to the extent of suggesting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that people who lived in Gurugram and worked in Delhi should stay in Delhi and the Delhi government should make arrangements, and vice versa, but that no border crossing should take place. The Delhi government rubbished the suggestion, and it was not taken seriously by the Haryana government either.
A miffed Vij ordered strict implementation of the lockdown at various entry points between Haryana and Delhi, ordering the police to make sure that very few passes are issued.
Vij prided himself for the move, saying despite political pressure, he was not going to relent. The move did not have the nod of the chief minister, the official quoted above said.
Also read: To stop entry of ‘corona carriers’ from Delhi, Haryana digs up roads after sealing borders
The Vij-Khattar battle
Vij is an RSS man through and through, who started off as a student politician in Ambala. When the BJP won its first election in Haryana in 2014 and was looking for a senior leader as CM, six-time Ambala MLA Vij was overlooked in favour of first-time MLA and administrative novice Khattar.
Khattar was said to have the direct support of PM Narendra Modi, with whom he was closely associated when Modi was in-charge of the BJP in Haryana and Punjab in the mid-1990s.
Since then, Khattar and Vij have shared an uncomfortable working relationship marked by occasional outbursts. In January this year, the two fought over control of the state CID — it usually falls under the ambit of the home department, but Khattar insisted on taking direct control of it. Vij opposed the move on the ground that the CM was interfering in his work and curtailing his powers.
Vij, considered honest and uncompromising, is also known as a loudmouth on every issues, and even prides himself on being given the epithet of “Gabbar Singh” by the media.
Also read: Anil Vij: The banker & RSS product who puts both his feet in his mouth & loves the feeling