Hooda scoffs at Khemka’s remarks on apologising

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday scoffed at the remarks IAS officer Ashok Khemka made during an interview to a magazine that before demitting office as chief minister, Hooda had apologised for the hardships he had caused to him.

In an interview to The Week, Khemka has been quoted as saying: “I had gone to visit him (Hooda) in keeping with my usual practice of saying goodbye to chief ministers I work with. He apologised for the hardships he caused me and requested me to tender an apology so that he could withdraw the state government’s chargesheet against me. I refused. He seemed truly repentant.”

Speaking to HT over phone, the former chief minister said: “His remarks on my apologising to him are factually incorrect. In fact, it is absurd. Why would I apologise to Khemka? We chargesheeted him for exceeding his jurisdiction and other misconduct on the basis of a report of a committee of officers.”

Hooda said that Khemka had sought an appointment from him on October 16, 2014. “If any officer comes to me, I always listen to him. But there was no apology or expression of repentance from my side. It is quite ridiculous,’’ Hooda said.