NEW DELHI: An Indian official known for standing up to corruption has been removed from his position for the 45th time, local media reported Thursday. Ashok Khemka, 49, posted in the northern state of Haryana, was shunted out as transport commissioner and shifted to the low-profile archaeology and museums department, broadcaster NDTV reported.

"Tried hard to address corruption and bring reforms in transport despite severe limitations and entrenched interests," Khemka wrote on Twitter.

"Moment is truly painful."

The senior Indian Administrative Services officer is known across the country for taking on political bigwigs and uncovering corruption scandals during his 23-year career.

He was transferred multiple times by the Indian National Congress party, which was in power until 2014, after he cancelled a land deal involving party chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra.

But the Bharatiya Janata Party, which supported Khemka and rules India, is now targeting him.

Officials said that Khemka had run-ins with transport minister Ram Bilas Sharma for penalising overloaded vehicles involved in the mining business.

The public's anger about corruption was a key factor in ousting the Congress party from power in national polls last year.

India's restrictive service and labour rules make it difficult to sack public officials for any reason other than criminal misconduct. – dpa