A dramatic scene unfolded inside the Directorate of Primary Education in Dehradun when Uttarakhand’s Director of Primary Education, Ajay Kumar Naudiyal, snatched a phone from a woman reporter. A brief scuffle followed as the woman tried to protect her device. The incident, caught on camera, shows Naudiyal visibly angry while others in the office tried to intervene.
The confrontation reportedly took place when parents of D.El.Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) trainees came to the director’s office. They had concerns about the ongoing primary teacher recruitment and wanted clarity on whether D.El.Ed trainees would be included in the process.
The 58-second video shows Naudiyal visibly angry. He points his finger at a woman and then suddenly snatches her phone. In protest, the woman grabs his waistcoat and tries to get her phone back. Naudiyal hands the phone to someone else as she repeatedly shouts, “Hum press se hain (We are from the press).” Naudiyal replies, “Kahi se bhi ho (From wherever you are).” Several people step in to calm the situation.
The footage also shows Naudiyal moving toward another person who was recording the incident, seemingly to grab that phone too. The woman can be heard shouting, “Video banao, video banao (Make a video, make a video).” People intervene, return her phone, and escort Naudiyal back inside his office.
At one point, a man identified as Shiv Prasad, coordinator of the Rashtrawadi Regional Party, reacts strongly. He says, “Maine pehle hi kaha tha ki BP high mat karo, haath uthao ge kya? Director ho ya badtameez? (I had already said don’t raise your blood pressure, will you raise your hand? Are you a director or rude?)” Naudiyal fires back, “Tum ho badtameez (You are rude).” Meanwhile, the woman insists that Naudiyal raised his hand at her.
Backlash after the incident
After the video went viral on social media, users expressed shock and anger at the director’s behaviour.
One user wrote, “When this government employee can behave like this with a journalist, then how does he behave with others?? And how do other government employees behave with the public??? And then they say that these are the servants of the public."
Another said, “When the Director of Education forgets his own lesson on professionalism, the press becomes the teacher, and the whole nation watches the exam live.”
Comments poured in demanding action. “Suspend the director immediately,” wrote one user. Another said, “If this is how they treat journalists on camera, how do they treat the public off camera?”
Many demanded that the government take strict action against officials who misbehave with journalists performing their duty.
What Education Director said
Naudiyal later wrote a letter to the Uttarakhand Director General of School Education. In it, he said that around 250–300 parents and trainees entered the office without prior notice on November 6. He claimed they disrupted the office environment and began recording videos despite being asked not to. He also alleged that they were pressuring staff to stop the recruitment process.
What woman journalist said
The woman journalist has been identified as Sima Rawat, managing director of a news portal. She stated that Naudiyal snatched her phone and threw it on the ground while she was recording the incident. She said, “Mere saath haathapayi bhi hui (There was also a scuffle with me).”
The matter has reached Uttarakhand’s Education Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat. Sources said the minister has sought a detailed report and asked for full information on the incident. The Chief Minister’s Office has also been informed. Officials from the CM Secretariat said that, given the seriousness of the matter, a decision will be taken soon.
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