Bhubaneswar/Sonepur: Subarnapur district collector Nruparaj Sahu has courted controversy for allegedly making a political statement at an official meeting attended by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Delivering a speech at the ‘Subhadra Shakti Mela’ in Sonepur Sunday, Sahu, while apparently referring to a change in governance style after the formation of the BJP government in the state, said, “There was a time when the rulers adopted ‘touch me not, speak me not, see me not’ culture. The present government has completely eradicated this culture.”
Though the collector, a senior Odisha Administrative Service officer, did not name any party or person, his speeches were widely perceived as a veiled criticism of the previous BJD regime led by Naveen Patnaik from 2000 to 2024.
The district collector’s remarks sparked a sharp reaction from the Opposition BJD, which viewed it as an indirect attack on its 24-year rule in the state.
“The district collector has made these remarks to appease his political master and intends to enter politics. There is no harm in doing politics. He should resign and join politics, but cannot misuse his official position,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.
Taking to X, Mohanty strongly condemned Sahu’s remark and raised question on his impartiality as an officer.
“Has the Collector of Subarnapur, Mr Nruparaj Sahoo, joined the BJP? BJD condemns the conduct of the Collector of Subarnapur, Mr Nruparaj Sahoo, for allegedly trying to act as an agent of a political party, keeping in mind his vested interests for the future. How can the common man expect justice from such officers?,” Mohanty asked in a social media post.
Has the Collector of Subarnapur, Mr Nruparaj Sahoo, joined the BJP? BJD condemns the conduct of the Collector of Subarnapur, Mr Nruparaj Sahoo, for allegedly trying to act as an agent of a political party, keeping in mind his vested interests for the future.
How can the common… pic.twitter.com/qioqUukt4G
— Dr Lenin Mohanty (@DrLeninMohanty1) February 2, 2026
The BJD leader also expressed concern over what he termed the erosion of administrative neutrality, saying such politically tinged remarks undermine public confidence in the fairness of governance.
He questioned how a common man could expect justice from a district magistrate-cum-collector with such an attitude.
Repeated attempts to contact the collector for his response to the BJD’s criticism were unsuccessful.
PTI
