Controversial Appointment of Vikas Barala as AAG in Haryana Sparks Public Outcry

By Amit Kumar

Vikas Barala, son of BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Haryana party chief Subhash Barala, has been
appointed Assistant Advocate General (AAG) in Haryana, despite facing an ongoing criminal trial in a
high-profile 2017 stalking and attempted abduction case.
The state government issued an official notification dated July 18 listing Barala among 97 newly
designated law officers, including Assistant, Deputy, Senior Deputy, and Additional Advocate
Generals. The appointment has reignited public debate around political privilege, accountability, and
the slow pace of justice.
Barala, alongside co-accused Ashish Kumar, was arrested in August 2017 after a complaint by Varnika
Kundu, daughter of senior IAS officer V.S. Kundu, who alleged the duo had followed her car through
the streets of Chandigarh at night and attempted to force their way in.
The two were charged under IPC sections 354D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (attempt to
abduct), 511 (attempting to commit an offense), along with charges of driving under the influence.
They were taken into custody following the FIR filed at Sector 26 police station and were formally
charged in October 2017.

Vikas Barala spent several months in Chandigarh’s Burail Jail before securing bail from the Punjab and
Haryana High Court in January 2018. The trial, however, remains unresolved eight years later, with
the next hearing set for August 2, 2025, for the defense to present evidence.
At the time of his arrest, Barala was pursuing a law degree and was granted permission by the High
Court to take his examinations at Kurukshetra University.
Subhash Barala, who led the Haryana BJP unit from 2014 to 2020, was in office when the incident
took place.
Following the announcement of Barala’s new role, Varnika Kundu responded sharply, stating:
“Appointing someone to a public position of power is not just a political decision, it’s a reflection of
values and standards. So perhaps the questions should be directed at the authorities whose ethics
and standards allowed this decision to be made.”
She further added: “Our policymakers run the country; the rest of us are just hoping they remember
that they work for the Indian citizen.”
Reflecting on the protracted nature of the case, Kundu said: “What I will speak about is my own case,
and the fact that despite months of national media attention, it has dragged on for this long with
little progress.”
“Although we seem no closer to a conclusion than we were five years ago, I continue to hold faith in
the judiciary until the verdict is announced, but I won’t deny that faith has wavered,” she said.
Political leaders and opposition parties have strongly criticized the Haryana government’s move.
Former Chief Minister and Congress veteran Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed concern about the
standards of appointments to such legal positions. “Only competent people should be appointed in
the Advocate General’s office,” he said.

Meanwhile, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) lashed out at the ruling party, using its official X
account to call the decision a “grotesque betrayal of trust.” The AITC accused the BJP of contradicting
its own rhetoric on women’s safety.
“BJP’s ‘Beti Bachao’ slogan is a shameless, calculated deception. Their actions in Haryana expose a
grotesque betrayal of trust! They’ve appointed Vikas Barala, son of a BJP MP and a man accused of
SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION, as an Assistant Advocate General! Let that sink in:
a man OUT ON BAIL for these grave charges is handed a position of legal authority. It’s an
outrageous perversion of justice and a protection of predators within their own ranks,” the party
posted.
The AITC also directly questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to women’s
empowerment, writing: “Is this your ‘Nari Shakti’?” They described the appointment as a “profound
moral collapse and an insult to every Indian woman.”
As the public and political commentary intensifies, the case against Vikas Barala continues to wind its
way through the courts, with many now watching closely not just for its legal outcome, but for the
broader implications it may hold for governance, justice, and political ethics in India