Firebrand Haryana leader Anil Vij skips oath-taking ceremony

Tribune News Service

Nitish Sharma

Ambala, March 12

The changing of the guard in Haryana may have caused unhappiness to firebrand senior leader and six-time Ambala Cantonment MLA Anil Vij. This may create problems for the BJP, but this is not the first time when the former state Home Minister has found himself in the middle of a controversy, or has created trouble for the party.

Known for taking strict actions during his tenure as the Home Minister in Haryana, Vij had suspended a number of policemen and other officials for negligence in duty, and during raids across the state when he had the portfolio of Urban Local Bodies Minister. Similar actions were taken by him while holding Janta Darbars in Ambala Cantonment. Unhappy with the alleged interference in the functioning of Health Department, Vij, as a Health Minister, had stopped clearing files. However, later Vij was pacified. Vij had also said that he had not received any intelligence input before the violence hit Nuh region.

The troubled relationship between Vij and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made headlines many a times during their tenures. Be it control of the CID, retention of former DGP Manoj Yadava, argument with a woman IPS officer, action against several officers and stripping Vij of the Urban Local Bodies portfolio were some of the incidents when differences between him and the former CM came to light. Vij had also offered to resign when he was told that he may lose the Home Department during the reallocation of portfolios.

Meanwhile, by leaving the party meeting and then skipping the oath-taking ceremony of Nayab Singh Saini, Vij again expressed his unhappiness with the functioning in the party.

As soon as his supporters came to know about the development they started reaching his residence to express their solidarity with the senior leader.

There was a sense of uneasiness in the atmosphere as the minister kept silent while surrounded by his supporters in the room, where he usually meets people and holds routine meetings. Later, the former Home Minister was seen playing with his younger brother’s granddaughter and enjoying chaat and golgappa in the Ambala City market in the evening.

Though the firebrand leader didn’t make any statement, his supporters said Vij, as one of the party’s senior-most leaders, should have been elevated to the CM’s post.

“People from across the state reach Ambala Cantonment every day to get their problems resolved. By making Vij the CM, the party should have respected feelings of Haryana residents,” said a Vij supporter.

BJP leader Ajay Baweja said, “We have talked to him and he has said that he doesn’t need any ministry to work for the people. Even as an MLA, he has ample powers and will continue to work for residents of Ambala.”

Former BJP district chief Rajesh Batoura also met Vij.

Late in the evening, Vij updated his social media profile to ‘Ex-Home and Health Minister Haryana’.

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