JAMMU, October 17, 2026 – A major administrative row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after a senior IAS officer, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, allegedly directed verbal abuse at a female JKAS officer, Beenish Wani, during an official meeting. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from top political leaders, civil society, and employees’ associations, prompting the J&K Government to order a high-level inquiry.
On Friday, several JKAS officers assembled at Bahu Plaza near the Divisional Commissioner’s office in Jammu to stage a protest demonstration against the alleged misbehavior. The protesting officers emphasized that holding a senior administrative position does not grant anyone the license to insult colleagues, intimidate subordinates, or misuse official authority.
The political reaction to the incident has been swift and severe. National Conference (NC) President and three-time Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah strongly condemned the language used by the IAS officer, stating that if J&K were still a State under his administration, the officer would have been “put back on a plane and sent away.” Dr. Abdullah remarked that the incident highlights a broader issue regarding the administrative setup following the abrogation of Article 370.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti also demanded strict accountability. Calling the conduct “erratic and disdainful,” she urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to immediately take up the matter with the Central Government to ensure stern action against the officer.
J&K Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra has written to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, seeking a fair and time-bound inquiry into the matter. Karra also demanded firm safeguards to ensure that the female officer, Beenish Wani, does not face any retaliatory action or victimization.
CPI(M) leader Mohd Yusuf Tarigami called the viral video of the incident “deeply disturbing,” stressing that human dignity is non-negotiable and no authority gives someone the right to humiliate another person in the workplace.
The condemnation cut across party lines. Senior BJP leader and former JMC Mayor Rajinder Sharma urged CM Omar Abdullah to meet the Lieutenant Governor along with NC MLAs to press for strict action. AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, PDF president Hakeem Mohd Yaseen, and Congress leader Taranjit Singh Tony also lambasted the misuse of administrative authority.
Various organizations, including the J&K Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), J&K Engineering Graduates Association, and the All India Confederation of SC/ST/OBC, Minority, and Adivasi Organizations, expressed their unequivocal solidarity with the JKAS Association, demanding the immediate removal of the erring IAS officer.
Published by True Roots Media Network