Are You Still Alive? Gajwel MRO Suspended Over Remarks to Farmer
Following the incident, the District Collector directed senior officials to conduct an inquiry. The Revenue Divisional Officer submitted a preliminary report, based on which Swamy was suspended.
Siddipet: Gajwel Tahsildar Swamy was suspended for allegedly making derogatory remarks against a farmer who approached his office over a land dispute.
Siddipet District Collector K. Hymavathi issued suspension orders after a preliminary inquiry found the official's behaviour to be inappropriate.
According to reports, the farmer visited the Gajwel Tahsildar's office regarding a land-related issue. During the interaction, the Tahsildar mocked the farmer, asking, “Hey, are you still alive? Haven't you consumed pesticide yet?”
The farmer expressed distress over the remark and questioned the Tahsildar about whether he had made the statement intentionally. The official allegedly replied, “Yes, I did. Of course, I did.”
A video of the incident went viral on social media, drawing widespread attention.
Following the incident, the District Collector directed senior officials to conduct an inquiry. The Revenue Divisional Officer submitted a preliminary report, based on which Swamy was suspended.
The suspension orders also stated that Swamy should not leave the headquarters without prior permission.
After the video went viral, the farmer, Yesu, released another video claiming that the incident had taken place four or five months ago. He also stated that the MRO was not at fault and that his land dispute had been resolved.
However, some users on X questioned it's not important whether the video was old or recent. The main issue was the inhumane behaviour towards a farmer by a public official.
The government officials are expected to treat farmers and other members of the public with dignity and respect, irrespective of the nature of their grievances. Even if the land dispute has been resolved, the remarks remain a matter of concern.
