facing-backlash-govt-removes-barala-from-law-officers-list

Just 10 days after his name was included in the list of newly appointed law officers by the Haryana Advocate General’s office, Vikas Barala has been dropped from the list. He is an accused in a high-profile 2017 stalking case.

 

The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government decided to remove Barala’s name following criticism and public outrage. Sources in the Haryana government said the Home Department has informed Barala that he will not be joining as a law officer.

 

“He is not joining. The decision to drop him from the list of Haryana law officers has been conveyed to him,” sources maintained. It is also believed that his father, Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, advised the government to drop his son's name.

 

According to information, Vikas’s father and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala is learnt to have indicated to the government to drop his son’s name Vikas Barala had been appointed as an Assistant Advocate General (AAG) in the list of 97 law officers approved by the then Governor, Bandaru Dattatreya, on July 18. The appointments were made after the Advocate General’s office advertised 100 law officer posts earlier this year. A five-member committee, headed by the AG, selected the candidates.

 

Varnika Kundu, the daughter of former IAS officer VS Kundu and the complainant in the stalking case against Vikas, had strongly opposed his appointment. She shared a post on Instagram, calling out the government's decision and questioning its message.

 

Following the backlash, even some BJP leaders in the state were divided over the inclusion of his name in the list. Some leaders admitted that the government should have waited the outcome of the on-going staking case against him before clearing his name. They defended his inclusion, saying an ongoing case that might take years to conclude should not go against him. Others admitted that Vikas was given the post because of his father’s close ties with the central leadership.

 

A senior party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The Chief Minister might not have had much say in the matter. His inclusion brought a bad name to us. On the one hand, we advocate ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao; and, on the other, we approve inclusion of the name of an accused as a law officer. The message that goes out with every important decision is always more important than the decision.”