A recent public feud between two senior women officers in Karnataka has left the Basavaraj Bommai government in a difficult position, with the state Home Minister warning action against the “bad behavior” of the officers. The incident involved D Roopa Moudgil, an IPS officer, who shared private photos of IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri on social media, claiming that she had violated service conduct rules by sending her photos to male IAS officers.
Here are the details of what happened:
Allegations of Corruption
Before the release of the private photos, D Roopa had accused Ms. Sindhuri of corruption, claiming that she had complained to the Karnataka Chief Minister and Chief Secretary. In response, Ms. Sindhuri had called the allegations false and accused D Roopa of driving a “false, personal vilification campaign” against her. She even referred to “mental illness” while hitting out at her adversary.
The Feud Between the Officers
The feud between the two officers reportedly started when images of Ms. Sindhuri sitting with Janata Dal Secular MLA Sa Ra Mahesh in a restaurant recently went viral. The two officers had several public fights accusing each other of corruption when Ms. Sindhuri was posted in Mysuru in 2021.
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D Roopa questioned why an IAS meet officer would meet a politician and suggested that the two had struck a deal.
State Home Minister’s Response
The Karnataka Home Minister has since commented on the incident and said that the Chief Minister was also aware of the issue. “We are not sitting quiet, action will be taken against them,” he said. “They both are behaving in such a bad way – not even normal people speak on the streets like this. Let them do whatever they want on their personal issues, but coming before the media and behaving the way they are is not right,” Mr. Jnanendra added.
Concluding Thoughts
The virulent exchange between the two officers has caused a flurry in bureaucratic circles. Yesterday, Chief Minister Bommai called it a “personal matter,” but with the fight getting uglier, many believe he may need to intervene. Such a public feud between senior officials is unfortunate, and it is essential that they maintain a professional and cordial relationship, especially given the sensitive positions they hold. It remains to be seen what actions will be taken against the officers, but hopefully, this serves as a cautionary tale to others about the dangers of public personal attacks and the importance of maintaining decorum and professionalism.
