A no pushover, Vij is back in business with better arsenal

Home minister is known for creating controversies with his outburst

CHANDIGARH: When six-time MLA from Ambala Cantonment, Anil Vij, was allocated the home portfolio on Thursday, the senior most cabinet minister from the BJP joined a select band of elected representatives who had a chance to run the home department as a cabinet minister. The home portfolio has been conventionally held by the chief minister as was held by Manohar Lal Khattar in the previous term.

Unlike his predecessors Mani Ram Godara, Tayyab Hussain and Sampat Singh, who worked in the shadows of domineering chief ministers—bansi Lal, Devi Lal and Om Prakash Chautala— Vij will be a tough customer in his own right. “He never restrains from pulling punches. That’s how he functions –direct and prompt,” said an official, who has worked with him.

The newly sworn-in home minister is not known to mince words and often creates controversies with his actions. His last stint as the health and sports minister stands testimony to his aggressive style of functioning.

Vij, who is now the boss of police department has had his share of run-ins with the police hierarchy. In 2015, he got hold of an intelligence sleuth near his office in the Haryana civil secretariat and accused him of prying on him. He called up the then DGP YP Singhal and forced an inquiry into the matter. Later that year, his spat with woman IPS officer Sangeeta Kalia in a meeting of the Fatehabad district grievance committee over the sale of liquor from unauthorised outlets in villages and suburbs, led to her transfer as district police chief of Fatehabad to a low-key assignment in the India Reserve Battalion (IRB).

As health and sports minister in the previous term, Vij was also feared for his surprise inspections and ordering administrative action against “errant officials”, even against those not from his department. Many who faced his wrath have petitioned the courts seeking relief. “I expect him to make surprise checks at police stations, ask the intelligence officials to keep him in loop and resist transfer and posting of station house officers and other personnel at political behest,” an official said.

Vij, who is known for his earthy mannerisms, has also fiercely resisted any overtures of sidestepping his authority. As health minister, he gave tongue lashing to IAS officer, Rakesh Gupta, posted as additional principal secretary to the chief minister (APSCM) when Gupta tried to “run his department”. The APSCM who handled the health department in the CM’S office was soon stripped of the responsibility of the health department.

His mockingly famous tweet Thank you chief minister for taking keen interest into my departments, I am relaxed” –spurred another controversy. He was apparently upset at being overlooked by his own department officials who invited the CM for an official function at Rai Sports School but chose to forget the minister.

The veteran BJP leader had felt slighted in 2014, when despite his seniority, he was not given the charge of any plum portfolios as cabinet minister and was ranked at number five in the order of precedence. The Gabbar, as Vij christened himself, is back, but bursting with better arsenal and firepower.