‘… transfer not only option’: Mahua Moitra on IAS officer dog, walking row

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra tweeted Saturday in response to those commenting on an earlier tweet – on the row over a Delhi IAS couple shunted to two corners of the country amid allegations they forced a state-run stadium to close early so they could walk their dog. The Lok Sabha MP aimed this tweet at ‘Vishwaguru disciples’ and pointed out ‘transfer is NOT (the) only disciplinary option available for errant officers’.

“For all Vishwaguru disciples pointing out what AGMUT stands for – one small point: Transfer is NOT only disciplinary option available for errant officers. Ever thought of that?”

Earlier today Mahua Moitra accused the union home ministry of paying lip service to the north-eastern states; this was after home minister Amit Shah visited Arunachal Pradesh last week and praised the state.

She said transferring an ‘errant Delhi bureaucrat’ to Arunachal reflected poorly on the status of the north-eastern state and was at odds with Shah’s words.

Why shame Arunachal: Mahua Moitra on IAS officer transfer, dog-walking row

“Why shame Arunachal by transferring errant Delhi bureaucrat there? Why pay lip service to northeast and then treat area like a dump for your rubbish?” she asked, tagging Arunachal chief minister Pema Khandu.

The tweet prompted critical replies, including some invoked the hostile political ties between the Trinamool and the BJP.

Another pointed out that both officers concerned are from the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre.

The IAS couple – Sanjeev Khirwar and Anu Dugga – have been sent to the UT of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, respectively, and with ‘immediate effect’.

IAS couple, who walked their dog at Delhi stadium, transferred

The row broke after the Indian Express published a report showing them walking a dog on an athletics track. The report said the Delhi government stadium had been cleared on their orders so they could walk the dog.

Khirwar told the Express the allegations were untrue.

The entire row, meanwhile, has also sparked a meme fest on Twitter, with those online now more concerned about the fate of the dog. 

#WhereWillTheDogGo trends after IAS couple shunted over Delhi stadium row

Will s/he go to Ladakh or Arunachal, or will custody of the pooch be shared?