Renu Bhatia quits as head of Haryana Women’s Panel amid protests by nursing staff

Haryana State Commission for Women Chairperson Renu Bhatia resigned late on Wednesday following protests by nurses across the state during the day against her alleged derogatory remarks against nursing staff at the Civil Hospital in Kurukshetra.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Ms. Bhatia, without giving any reasons for her resignation, said that she had served with integrity and dedication for more than four years as the chairperson of the commission and would continue to fight for women’s rights and dignity.

Ms. Bhatia made the alleged remarks during her official inspection at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Civil Hospital at Kurukshetra on June 7, where she was probing a case of alleged rape of a 15-year-old minor girl by a doctor. She reprimanded the hospital management and nursing staff for the safety lapses that left the minor unsupervised.

Seeking her resignation, the Nursing Officers Welfare Association Haryana threatened to stage a second two-hour strike with complete suspension of services on June 10 and a full-scale strike on June 11, including stopping emergency services across the state, if their demands were not met.

However, Ms Bhatia’s tenure has been marred by several controversies, including the registration of a case against Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad over his social media posts in “Operation Sindoor”. When she filed a police complaint against the professor in Sonipat, Haryana, leading to his arrest, it sparked intense national scrutiny and academic outrage. Ms Bhatia alleged that his posts insulted the modesty of women in the armed forces and threatened national integrity.

She recently rejected Bollywood rapper Badshah’s public apology for inappropriate lyrics in his song ‘Tettiri’, calling him out and vowing to take action against anyone making offensive content.

Published – 11 Jun 2026 01:34 IST