Bhubaneswar: The Odisha BJP has lashed out at the state Chief Secretary, DGP and other top IAS and IPS officers meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to congratulate him on the “BJD’s stellar show in the panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections”.
State BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan termed it as a blot on the administrative history of India.
“It has no precedent in India… top bureaucrats, police officers and other officials going in groups to congratulate the head of a party over victory in local polls. It’s a blot on the administrative history of India,” he said at a press conference here on Monday.
“Bureaucracy is one of the four pillars of democracy and officers need to uphold its integrity, independence and impartiality. Unfortunately, all those boundaries have been violated. The ‘Laxman Rekha’ has been crossed,” Harichandan added.
“It’s unfortunate that Constitutional ethics have been violated. We have been saying all along that the BJD has established a bureaucracy-driven rule in the state and top bureaucrats lining up to congratulate the CM only proves the nexus between the ruling party and the state bureaucracy. The BJD has been winning polls by misusing the official machinery,” he said.
The BJP asked what steps has the police taken after the violence in the elections. Atrocities against women are rising and people have lost faith in the party, it said.
Lashing out at the top bureaucrats of the state, Harichandan said that even if they have lost all self-respect and have no desire to follow Constitutional norms and ethics, they should be ashamed before the people, who they are supposed to serve.
The BJD said there was nothing wrong in bureaucrats calling on the CM. “There is no problem with this. It was a courtesy visit to thank the CM. Such traditions of bonhomie should prevail and should be acknowledged. Senior officers in BJP-ruled states also meet their CMs,” BJD MLA Bhupinder Singh said, responding to Harichandan’s allegations.
BJP’s Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi too on Sunday said the use of muscle and money power by the ruling BJD was common knowledge. “I’m surprised why the ruling party resorted to intimidating Opposition candidates and voters and spent huge sums of money even after remaining in power for 22 years,” she said.
“Since the BJD is staking claim to good and transparent administration under its rule, it should go to the people with confidence and seek votes instead of using its influence through all possible means to win elections, she added.
Senior IAS and IPS officers and members of several service associations on Sunday congratulated Naveen on the BJD’s victory in the panchayat and ULB elections.
Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra, Development Commissioner PK Jena, DGP Sunil Kumar Bansal, ADG Lalit Das, ADG RK Sharma and Police Commissioner Soumendra Priyadarshi met Naveen to congratulate him.
Thanking the officers for their gesture, the chief minister asked them to work for development and progress of the state.
Also read: https://odishabytes.com/bhubaneswar-mp-blames-state-leadership-for-bjps-poor-show-in-ulb-elections/
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