Karnal, June 11 -- Facing mounting criticism over her remarks and a statewide protest by nursing staff, Haryana State Commission for Women chairperson Renu Bhatia resigned on Tuesday evening, bringing an end to a tenure often marked by controversies and high-profile interventions. Bhatia submitted her resignation to chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, requesting that it be accepted. She did not cite any reason for stepping down. Till the filing of this report, the state government had not officially confirmed whether it had accepted her resignation. Appointed chairperson of the women's commission in 2022 by then chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Bhatia was granted an extension in 2025 by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini. Her exit comes after days of controversy erupted during her visit to the Kurukshetra's LNJP Civil Hospital, where she allegedly reprimanded nursing staff over the handling of a sexual assault case involving a 15-year-old girl. The remarks triggered protests by the government hospital nurses across the state, who demanded an unconditional apology and her resignation. Bhatia had visited the hospital after a 62-year-old consultant doctor was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting the minor. During the visit, she reportedly pulled up nurses and hospital officials for perceived negligence and ordered action against four employees, including the principal medical officer. Rejecting the demands for an apology, Bhatia maintained that the agitation was politically motivated and backed by the opposition. The protesting nurses said that although the resignation is sufficing but, an apology is still needed. According to reports, a group of nurses has lodged a complaint at the Kurukshetra police station, seeking legal action against Bhatia. In a video message released on Wednesday, Bhatia thanked both Khattar and Saini and said she had tried to discharge her duties to the best of her ability. Without referring to the recent controversy, Bhatia said, "I apologise if I ever made any mistake or hurt someone. Humans learn from their mistakes. I have never done injustice to anyone." Later, speaking to the media, she attributed her resignation to personal reasons. "I am scheduled to visit Japan and later the United States and will be away for nearly four months," she said. This is not the first time Bhatia, who belongs to a Punjabi Kashmiri family from Srinagar, has found herself at the centre of a controversy. A BJP leader for nearly four decades, she began her political career as a municipal councillor in Faridabad in 2000.Bhatia was also popularly known as "BJP ki Benazir", a moniker she earned after portraying former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto in a 2008 short film. During her tenure as chairperson, she most recently ordered the arrest of Bollywood singer-rapper Aditya Prateek Singh, aka Badshah, over his now-withdrawn song 'Tateeree'. The singer later apologised to the National Commission for Women. She had also ordered action against Haryanvi singer Masoom Sharma, who was booked in Dehradun for using abusive language at an event. Last year, her intervention against Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad sparked a major political and legal controversy. The Supreme Court eventually closed the case earlier this year after the Haryana government declined to give prosecution sanction. Earlier, in 2023, she pursued sexual harassment cases against government school principals in Jind and Kaithal, leading to their arrests. She also sparked a controversy in September 2022, when she asked a female cop to 'leave' during an official hearing in Kaithal, for alleged lapses in handling of a marital dispute case....