The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday, April 8, 2024 accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing the Election Commission India’s (ECI) platform for issuing threats to serving government officials who refuse to toe the party’s line.
The BJD filed a petition addressing the ECI, drawing the latter’s attention to the recent transfer of six Indian Police Service (IPS) and two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in the State. On April 2, the ECI had directed the Odisha Chief Secretary to shift eight senior officers to non-election duty. Following the order, these officers have been shifted from their posts.
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“Odisha BJP leaders have a habit of targeting government officials of the State whenever it (the BJP) realises that it is going to be defeated,” BJD national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said, addressing a press conference.
“The new low that they (BJP leaders) have dropped to in the 2024 elections is that they have started calling and threatening government officials like Block Development Officers, Tahsildars, and field-level police officials. The Odisha BJP is threatening them to either fall in line and support the Odisha BJP in this election or else face transfers and other punitive actions,” Mr. Patra alleged.
“Some Odisha BJP poll candidates and leaders are blatantly misusing the name of ECI, and threatening officials who are on election duty with transfers through ECI, in case they do not support the Odisha BJP candidates in this 2024 election,” he alleged.
“This is not only a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct in force during this election, but are also criminal in nature relating to threatening of election duty personnel and illegally trying to influence the election process,” Mr. Patra said.
“By doing this, these Odisha BJP leaders are destroying our hard-earned democratic process and the credentials of our electoral system,” the BJD leader remarked.
The regional party urged the ECI to take necessary cognisance of the matter, and ensure that these Odisha BJP leaders and poll candidates stop such vicious threats to government officials in order to ensure a free, fair, transparent and healthy election.
