NEW DELHI:
After reports of an IAS officer who used to walk his dog at Tyagraj Stadium in Delhi went viral on Thursday, the Union Home Ministry shifted Sanjeev Khirwar, a 1994-batch IAS officer to Ladakh and his wife to Arunachal Pradesh with immediate effect.
The move came hours after an exclusive report of Indian Express went viral that athletics were forced to empty government-run Thyagraj Stadium earlier than usual so that the IAS could walk with his wife (Rinku Dugga, a 1994 batch IAS officer) and dog.
News reports have brought to our notice that certain sports facilities are being closed early causing inconvenience to sportsmen who wish to play till late nite. CM @ArvindKejriwal has directed that all Delhi Govt sports facilities to stay open for sportsmen till 10pm pic.twitter.com/LG7ucovFbZ
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) May 26, 2022
Taking cognizance over media reports, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Government is issuing instructions to all sports facilities to stay open for sportspersons till 10 pm.
“It has come to my notice that sportspersons are facing problems because of the heat and the stadiums get closed by 6 or 7 pm. We are issuing instructions that all sports facilities should remain open till 10 pm so that the sportsperson can use them,” Kejriwal told reporters.
Soon after the reports surfaced, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Thursday tweeted that the Chief Minister has extended the timings of all stadiums in Delhi till 10 pm. “News reports have brought to our notice that certain sports facilities are being closed early causing inconvenience to sportsmen who wish to play till late night.
आदरणीय @LtGovDelhi जी - @ArvindKejriwal जी
— Praveen Shankar Kapoor (@praveenskapoor) May 26, 2022
एक वरिष्ठ अधिकारी द्वारा अपनी प्रशासनिक ताकत का दुरुपयोग कर स्टेडियम को अपने कुत्ते के साथ सैर करने के लियें रोज आरक्षित करने का यह मामला बेहद गम्भीर है -- कृप्या जांच करवा कर अधिकारी संजीव खिरवाल को निलंबित करें।@IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/8X9QHGjFVG
Kejriwal has directed that all Delhi Government sports facilities to stay open for sportsmen till 10pm,” Sisodia tweeted.Terming it shameful, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affair Kaushal Kishore said, “It’s shameful that sportspersons have to empty the stadium (Delhi’s Thyagraj Stadium Complex) premises because an IAS officer wants to walk with his dog. The officer should apologise. This is a misuse of his authority”.
The Delhi BJP had also demanded action against Khirwar for allegedly forcing the players to vacate the stadium.