The Karnataka home minister has directed the police chief and chief secretary to take action against two women civil servants who indulged in a public spat on social media, with one of them posting private photographs of the other on Facebook.

D. Roopa, an IPS officer who is the managing director of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation, and Rohini Sindhuri, an IAS officer and commissioner of the Muzrai (religious affairs) department, have been at loggerheads for quite some time.

Matters came to a head when Roopa posted personal pictures of Sindhuri on her Facebook page on Sunday, alleging that the latter had shared them with some male civil servants.

Home minister Araga Jnanendra on Monday took cognisance of the development and directed director-general of police Praveen Sood and chief secretary Vandita Sharma to initiate action against the feuding officers.

“They are both humiliating the IPS and IAS fraternities. They need to be punished. I have already spoken to the director-general of police and will be speaking to the chief secretary to take action. The chief minister (Basavaraj Bommai) is aware of this issue and will take suitable action,” Jnanendra told reporters on Monday.

He said the government would take action based on the All India Service Conduct Rules governing IAS and IPS officers.

“They have already been warned earlier,” he said.

Roopa levelled corruption allegations against Sindhuri. To make matters worse, she posted selfies that Sindhuri allegedly shared with three male civil servants, a charge denied by Sindhuri and her husband Sudhir Reddy.