Jagatsinghpur: 5T Secretary VK Pandian’s tours and announcement of sops have snowballed into a major controversy in Odisha and Thursday saw BJP workers, clad in black, releasing black balloons into the sky as the former’s chopper hovered over Jagatsinghpur district.
“Pandian Go Back” slogan also rented the air.
Such protests were staged by the members of BJP Yuva Morcha and BJP Mahila Morcha at Paradip, Kujang and Rahama in the district. While women members of the saffron party took out a rally in Kujang, BJP workers resorted to sloganeering and picketing in front of the ADM’s office at Paradip.
Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary has been in the eye of the storm for taking a public role and holding rallies. The saffron party has been accusing him of violating Conduct Rules. Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi and Odisha BJP Chief Manmohan Samal also lodged a complaint against the 5T Secretary following which the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) asked the Chief Secretary to take necessary action against him.
The BJD, on the other hand, has pooh-poohed these allegations, stating that the Chief Minister had the constitutional right to assign any job to any government official. “There is no delegation of power. Rather specific responsibilities have been allocated to party members and government officials. The CM has also instructed ministers and the Chief Secretary to engage with the public directly. Instead of making baseless allegations, the opposition should also focus on serving the people,” said senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya.
Also Read: No Delegation Of Power, Says Prasanna Acharya Amid BJP’s Protests & ‘Babutantra’ In Odisha Dig
