In a growing political confrontation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have locked horns over a government notification that has become a point of contention. The notification instructs government officers to “celebrate and showcase” the Centre’s accomplishments over the past nine years, and the Congress has accused the ruling party of “politicizing” the bureaucracy and armed forces.
BJP President JP Nadda wasted no time in firing back at the Congress, expressing his bewilderment at the objections raised by the opposition party. Nadda defended the notification by highlighting the importance of government officers reaching grassroots levels to ensure the full implementation of government schemes.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising concerns about the government’s “Rath Prabhari” order. According to Kharge, the notification has directed senior officers, including those holding ranks as high as joint secretary and director, to be deployed as “Rath Prabharis” in all 756 districts across the country to “showcase achievements of the last nine years of the Government of India.” Kharge further alleged that this directive is a clear violation of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, which prohibit government servants from participating in any political activities, and it effectively turns them into political workers of the ruling party.
In response, BJP President Nadda explained that the government’s order was intended to ensure that public services reach the grassroots level, thus enabling the “saturation of government schemes.” He argued that this concept might be foreign to the Congress, emphasizing that if the government aims to ensure the saturation of all schemes and reach all beneficiaries, it should not be met with opposition. Nadda criticized the Congress, alleging that the party is only interested in keeping the poor in poverty, which is why they oppose efforts to extend the benefits of government initiatives.
Nadda further took a swipe at the Congress by recalling an allegation made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. At that time, PM Modi had claimed that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his family had used the Navy’s Centaur-class aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, as their “personal taxi.” However, these allegations were dismissed by the former commanding officer of INS Viraat. Nadda used this comparison to assert that the opposition to a “Rath” is a legitimate use of public resources compared to the alleged misuse of warships.
As tensions between the BJP and Congress continue to rise over the government’s directive, it remains to be seen how this latest political skirmish will unfold.
Sources By Agencies
