The Madhya Pradesh government has removed Kishor Kanyal from the post of Shajapur district collector after he questioned "aukat" (status) of a driver amid a protest by truckers.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, while sharing the decision of removing Kanyal from the collector's post, on Wednesday said such type of language will not be tolerated under his government.
According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Kanyal was removed from the post of Shajapur collector on Yadav's directives.
The state government on Wednesday issued an order shifting Kanyal to the post of state deputy secretary. Narsinghpur's collector Riju Bafna has been made the new collector of Shajapur.
During a meeting with representatives of a drivers' union on Tuesday, Kanyal lost his cool and later expressed regret if anyone was hurt by his words.
Reacting to the episode, CM Yadav said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we work for the uplift of the poor. No matter how big an officer is, he should respect the work and feelings of the poor. As a human being, this kind of language will not be tolerated under our government."
Yadav said he himself is the son of a labourer.
"I believe that officers who speak such language don't deserve to be in the field posting. I expect that the officer posted there (as Shajapur collector) will keep a check on such behaviour. I am pained by this," the CM said.
A video clip, which went viral on Tuesday, showed the collector asking drivers and others not to take the law into their own hands when a representative of divers asked him to talk nicely.
Kanyal got angry and asked the person concerned, "Kya karoge tum, kya aukat hai tumhari?"
The man replied saying they are fighting this battle for the very reason that they don't have any "aukat" (social standing).
A policeman then whisked away the man from the spot.
Kanyal later posted a video on the district collector's official X account saying a meeting of about 250 truck and bus drivers was convened on Tuesday, a day after many of them created a ruckus and staged protests.
"The meeting was held to tell them to raise their issues democratically but one of them was trying to incite others and threatening to intensify the stir, because of which I used these words. I express regret if anyone is hurt by my words," he said.
However, nobody will be allowed to take the law in his hand, he added.
