Chandigarh: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has sought the removal of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief in a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
The letter, reportedly written Monday, is the latest shot in Vij and Khattar’s battle for control of the CID, which handles the crucial intelligence function of Haryana Police.
As reported by ThePrint last week, there’s been bad blood between the two senior BJP leaders since Khattar took over the CID, which usually falls under the home minister.
The home department itself is usually held by the chief minister — as Khattar did in the first term — but it was given to Vij this time over the BJP brass’ alleged displeasure with Khattar’s performance in the first term.
In his letter, Vij has sought the transfer of IPS officer Anil Rao, the additional director general of police heading the CID wing of Haryana Police.
An officer of the 1994 batch, Rao is considered to be close to the chief minister and has been heading the CID since Khattar’s first term as chief minister between 2014 and 2019.
Vij has alleged that Rao is not sharing intelligence inputs with him, hindering his decision-making capacity as home minister.
He was referring to the list prepared by the intelligence wing daily — shared with the chief minister and home minister — of events and activities across the state that have the potential of creating a law and order situation.
Speaking to the media in Delhi Tuesday, Vij said it was his right as home minister to call for any information required to “ensure peace and tranquility” in the state.
“If I will not be given any information, how am I expected to take decisions regarding law and order?” he added.
While there was no dispute on jurisdiction between him and the chief minister, he said, he had to take decisions that require a constant stream of information from the intelligence department.
It didn’t matter, he added, who headed the CID wing.
Vij and Khattar both visited Delhi Monday for a meeting with senior BJP leaders. Vij, however, said his meeting with new BJP president J.P. Nadda was not held in the context of his dispute with Khattar. “It was a meeting to congratulate him and there was no discussion on this issue,” he added.
Also Read: Anil Vij: The banker & RSS product who puts both his feet in his mouth & loves the feeling
Ally weighs in
Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala of the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), the BJP’s alliance partner in the state, also weighed in on the alleged dispute between Vij and Khattar in a media interaction Tuesday at state capital Chandigarh.
Asked a question in this regard, Chautala said the matter should be resolved in the cabinet. He said it was the chief minister’s prerogative to decide the departments he wanted to keep with himself, but added that “the intelligence wing should report inputs to the home minister as well”.
Also Read: Manohar Lal Khattar — the BJP dark horse who cost the party its Haryana edge