Bhopal: Kishor Kanyal, the Shajapur district collector who faced controversy after questioning the 'aukat' (status) of a driver during a protest by truckers, has been removed from his post on Wednesday.
The removal of Shajapur District Collector Kishor Kanyal came after a controversial incident on Tuesday during a major strike organized by transporters in various states protesting against the hit-and-run law. The collector faced criticism for his anger and comments about the 'aukat' of truck drivers while speaking to them in Shajapur, Madhya Pradesh. Following the incident, the video went viral, leading to widespread condemnation.
Collector removed from post
The state government has taken significant action in response to the incident where a collector questioned the status of truck drivers in Shajapur. According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Kanyal was removed from the post of Shajapur collector on Yadav's directives.
The Madhya Pradesh government issued an order to transfer Kishor Kanyal to a new post. Kishor Kanyal has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary in the Madhya Pradesh government, while Ritu Bafna has been appointed as the new Collector of Shajapur.
'Won't tolerated such language'
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, while sharing the decision to remove Kanyal from the collector's post, said such type of language will not be tolerated under his government.
In response to the video of the Shajapur Collector, CM Yadav said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we work for the uplift of the poor. No matter how big an officer is, he should respect the work and feelings of the poor. As a human being, this kind of language will not be tolerated under our government."
Yadav said he himself is the son of a labourer. "I believe that officers who speak such language don't deserve to be in the field posting. I expect that the officer posted there (as Shajapur collector) will keep a check on such behaviour. I am pained by this," the CM said.
Collector expresses regret
During a meeting with representatives of a drivers' union on Tuesday (January 2), the Shajapur district collector lost his cool and questioned 'aukat' of a driver. Kanyal got angry and asked the person concerned, "Kya karoge tum, kya aukat hai tumhari?"
A video clip that went viral on social media showed the collector advising drivers and others not to resort to vigilantism when a representative of the drivers requested him to speak politely.
After the video of a dispute with a truck driver went viral, Collector Kanyal issued a clarification, stating that his intention was not to harm anyone. He mentioned that the statement was not made with the intention of causing harm and that the person in question was repeatedly causing disturbances in the meeting, standing up, and creating disruptions. The District Magistrate's office also stated that there was no intention to cause harm to anyone.
What did the driver say?
In the entire incident, during an interview with India TV, the driver Pappu Ahirwar mentioned that the Collector had provoked the driver community. According to Pappu Ahirwar, they were trying to make the Collector aware of their issues, and at that moment, the Collector became upset and started discussing his status. When asked about the removal of the Collector from his post, Pappu Ahirwar stated that being a small driver, he cannot comment on it, and he is unsure about what to say. Later, Pappu Ahirwar acknowledged that that he had done the work of provoking the driver on which he followed and accepted the decision taken by the administration.
