Walkies! Indian official and wife given marching orders over dog row

Following accusations that he had a sports stadium closed early every evening so he could walk his dog, a top Indian state worker and his wife were relocated to opposite sides of the country on Thursday.

Sanjeev Khirwar, a top administrator in the Delhi state government’s revenue department, was told to relocate to Ladakh in the far north, while his wife, who is also a civil servant, was dispatched to Arunachal Pradesh in the far northeast.

According to Google Maps, the two state capitals of Leh and Itanagar are separated by more than 3,000 kilometres (almost 2,000 miles) and a 65-hour travel.

The injunction came following a social media uproar sparked by a report in The Indian Express claiming that athletes and coaches at the Thyagraj Games were being abused.

Internet wags were quick to point out that the couple’s new postings are both known for their natural beauty and ample dog-walking opportunities.

“On the positive side,” one user commented, “wherever the dog goes, whether it’s Ladakh or Arunachal, it’ll have enough of space to wander around and walk… without having to close down a stadium.”

The Indian Express published a photo of Khirwar, a woman, and a dog on the running track, quoting an unnamed coach as saying: “Previously, we used to exercise until 8-8:30 night under lights.”

“However, we have been requested to leave by 7:00 p.m. so the cop can walk his dog on the ground.” Our training and practise schedules have been thrown off.”

The parent of one trainee athlete at the stadium, which is utilised by national and state athletes and footballers, described the situation as “unacceptable” in the article.

“Can you rationalise walking your dog in a state-owned stadium?” “This is a blatant abuse of authority,” the anonymous parent stated.

Khirwar told the newspaper that he walks his dog in the stadium, but he denied that others had been asked to leave on his behalf.

It cited him as saying, “I would never ask an athlete to leave the stadium that belongs to them.” “Even if I go, I wait till the stadium is supposed to open.”

The home ministry’s transfer order stated that it was effective “immediately.”

Earlier this week, Delhi’s deputy chief minister announced that officials had ordered all sporting facilities to remain open till 10:00 p.m. for athletes’ usage.

The government invested billions of dollars on new facilities for the graft-plagued 2010 Commonwealth Games, which are still India’s largest athletic event.

The majority of the venues are still in use, with some being utilised for other purposes such as political rallies or concerts, and the government has had to spend a significant amount of money on their upkeep.