Bhubaneswar: The BJP Tuesday alleged that the ruling BJD is not relieving government officials of their duties who are nominated by the BJP for fighting the elections, while it has been relieving the BJD candidates.
Addressing the media, the BJP leader Lekhashri Samantsinghar said that the state government seems to be adopting ‘dual policy’ where it is allegedly harassing serving government officials who are keen to fight elections on BJP tickets. She said that the BJP candidate from the Saraskana Assembly constituency Budhan Murmu from the Mayurbhanj district is yet to be relieved by the state government despite ample clearances.
“Murmu is a junior Class I officer and he vowed to leave the government job and serve the people. Even after giving resignation letter six months ago, his resignation has not been accepted yet by the government. He meanwhile got all clearances like vigilance clearance, judicial clearance and others,” she said.
Lekhashri claimed that it seemed that the ruling party and its president Naveen Patnaik is afraid of losing to BJP candidates and that is why he and his government are creating obstacles to even allowing the BJP candidates to fight the elections.
The BJP leaders lamented that the doctor who has served the people of Odisha in the Mayurbhanj district for years is being harassed by the party and discouraged to fight elections on a BJP ticket.
“Has the Naveen government forgotten the constitutional rights of an individual? Citizens of India have every right to fight elections and serve the people. There is a well laid down procedure to relieve officials who are keen to contest polls. Only in rare instances such things are delayed like a pending legal case which is not a matter here,” said Lekhashri.
