A day after Shajapur Collector Kishor Kumar Kanyal reprimanded a trucker and asked for his ‘aukat' (status or hierarchical position in society) in a meeting called to discuss a possible solution to the nationwide strike by transport unions, the newly elected chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Mohan Yadav removed the collector from the district.
Riju Bafna, collector of Narsinghpur district has replaced him. Kanyal has been transferred to the secretariat as deputy secretary. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the behaviour of the collector was inhuman.
“Such behaviour will not be tolerated in our government. I belong to a family of labourers too. Officers should mind their language and mend their behaviour. Such officers don't have the right to work in the field.
Who is this Shajapur collector?
Kishor Kanyal is a 2013 batch IAS officer, promoted from state civil service. He was appointed as district collector of Shajapur on April 3, 2023. He served there for merely nine months.
The incident
On Tuesday, Kanyal had called a meeting of transporters and truckers to discuss the possible solution of the strike. There a trucker asked him to speak politely.
The collector got enraged and reprimanded him saying, “Kya bol rahe ho jara dhyaan rakho. Kya karoge tum? Kya aukaat hai tumhari? (Be careful of what you say. What will you do? What is your status?),” said the irritated IAS officer.
Taking the discussion further, the trucker responded: “Yahi toh ladai hai ki hamari koi aukaat nahi (This is the fight that we have no stature).”
Later police forced the trucker out of the room while the trucker pleaded for apology with folded hands.
The video of Kanyal shouting at the trucker went viral and attracted reaction from all quarters.
Kanyal offered clarification:
Kanyal's office issued a clarification as the row over his choice of words escalated.
“In the meeting held today with the drivers and their organizations, when a person repeatedly spoke about escalating the situation after January 3, Collector Kishore Kanyal said something in a harsh tone to pacify him. It was not said with the intention to hurt him,” his office posted.
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