Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, on Monday termed the Centre withdrawing the 1966 order that debarred civil servants from joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as shocking.
“I cannot believe it. It seems utterly shocking,” said Patnaik when asked about the office memorandum issued early this month withdrawing the November 1966 order that barred civil servants from joining organisations that carry out political activities.
In 2009 just ahead of the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Patnaik broke ranks with BJP upset over the role of RSS in fomenting the Hindu-Christian communal riot in Kandhamal district a year earlier that led to 40 killings and destruction of houses and places of worship. As the riots brought international condemnation for Patnaik, he came out strongly against the riots declaring that all the bones in his body were secular.
“Every bone in my body is secular and I don’t think that any of those bones have been damaged,” Patnaik later said in a TV interview to journalist Karan Thapar.
In a related development, senior BJD leader Pratap Jena came out against the Uttar Pradesh government order that required shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names. Calling the order troubling, Jena said it invaded people’s privacy and created religious tension by targeting specific groups. “Instead of bringing people together, it seems intended to divide and instill fear. The holy month of Sawan should be about unity and peace, not policies that cause conflict. The government should focus on important issues like healthcare, education, and infrastructure rather than enforcing unnecessary and divisive rules,” he tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}In a related development, senior BJD leader Pratap Jena came out against the Uttar Pradesh government order that required shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names. Calling the order troubling, Jena said it invaded people’s privacy and created religious tension by targeting specific groups. “Instead of bringing people together, it seems intended to divide and instill fear. The holy month of Sawan should be about unity and peace, not policies that cause conflict. The government should focus on important issues like healthcare, education, and infrastructure rather than enforcing unnecessary and divisive rules,” he tweeted.
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