'Aap Jaaiye Yaha Se': Rajasthan Minister Rebukes Collector For Using Phone During His Speech. WATCH

Minister Ramesh Meena rebuked and asked the Bikaner District Collector to leave the stage during an event because the officer was allegedly distracted with his phone when the Minister was speaking.

While addressing a gathering on Monday, Rajasthan minister Ramesh Meena publically chastised the Bikaner district collector, stating the officer was busy with his phone rather than paying attention to the vital concerns he was highlighting, news agency ANI reported by posting a video of the incident on Twitter. 

Meena, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, was addressing women during an event at Ravindra Rangmanch, while collector Bhagwati Prasad Kalal and others sat on the stage.

The event in Bikaner was arranged to interact with women and discuss the department's implementation of various schemes and programmes.

During his speech, the minister looked at the collector, who appeared to be on his phone. Meena complained and inquired as to why the officer was not paying attention to him.

"Why aren't you listening? "Are bureaucrats that powerful in the state that they don't listen?" he can be seen asking in the video.

The collector stepped up from the sofa, saying nothing. "Aap jaaiye yahan se (please leave)," the minister remarked at the same moment.

However, the officer quickly returned to the programme, PTI reported. 

Later that day, a delegation from the Rajasthan IAS officers' union met with chief secretary Usha Sharma and sent over a representation condemning the minister's behaviour and demanding appropriate action.

When contacted, the minister indicated that the collector was frequently distracted by his phone and did not listen to the issues highlighted by Meena during his speech, as reported by news agency PTI.

“The women had said a few things about schemes like MGNREGA and I pointed this out to the collector but he did not listen and was busy looking at his phone. He was also talking on the phone repeatedly,” the minister was quoted as saying by the news agency. 

"A minister is pointing something essential out to the collector, and the collector is distracted by his phone... this is negligence." What message does it send to the general public? "How will a collector listen to the general public and handle their problems if he does not listen to the minister?" he added. 

The minister stated that he will take the matter up with the chief minister and urge that the officer be punished.

He said that the collector acted similarly during another review meeting at the Zila Parishad level.

In Jaipur, a Rajasthan IAS officers' association delegation led by vice president Kunjilal Meena and secretary Samit Sharma met with chief secretary (CS) Usha Sharma in her office and expressed their displeasure with such instances, according to PTI. 

In a letter to the CS, Secretary Samit Sharma stated that the Bikaner event was unjustified and humiliating. He claimed that the same minister had previously made disparaging statements about Alwar collector.

The CS informed them that he would discuss the subject with the chief minister, news agency PTI reported citing sources. 

Meanwhile, Rajendra Rathore, the deputy leader of the opposition, lashed out at the state government over the event.

According to the BJP leader, there was internal division in the ruling party, but now, due to the attitude of the ministers, infighting has begun among the bureaucracy as well, PTI reported. 

(With Inputs From Agencies)