Bhubaneswar: The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) alleged that former Odisha Governor Raghubar Das was a “controversial” figure and demanded that people should know the reason “for his premature removal from the post”.
The BJD’s reaction followed Shri Das’s formal rejoining of the BJP in his home state Jharkhand on Friday.
While being inducted into the BJP, Shri Das said as Governor, he worked for the people, listened to their grievances, and visited 30 districts within three months. “I have broken the myth that the Governor’s post is ‘Laat Saheb’,” Shri Das said.
Addressing a press conference here at the BJD’s Headquarters, former Minister and MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo accused Shri Das of working as an “Agent” of the BJP even though he was holding the Governor’s post.
“Shri Das was working as an agent of the BJP and was a controversial figure. He was never a popular Governor. His remark that Governors are not ‘Laat Saheb’ raises several questions, such as whether other Governors are ‘Laat Saheb’,” Shri Sahoo told Media.
Shri Sahoo added, “If Shri Das was a popular Governor as claimed by the BJP, then why was he unceremoniously removed from the post? The BJP should give a reply to the people of Odisha in this regard.”
The BJD leader also questioned why Odisha Police did not take any action against Shri Das’s son who had allegedly assaulted a State Government employee.
“Can any ordinary person go scotfree after assaulting an on duty Government employee?,” Shri Sahoo asked and reiterated his party’s demand to punish Shri Das’s son for taking Law into his hands.
The Oppostion BJD also accused Shri Das of demeaning the dignity of the Raj Bhavan by turning it into a political “Party Office”. “Holding the constitutional post, Shri Das toured across the State just ahead of the general elections to campaign for the BJP,” former Minister alleged.
The Governing BJP rejected BJD’s allegations and claimed that Shri Das was loved by the people of Odisha because he reached at the doorstep of villagers, listened to their grievances while their Chief Minister (referring to Naveen Patnaik) was confined to Bhubaneswar.
“BJD was opposing Shri Das because he was reaching out to people and hearing their grievances while the then chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, could not meet masses,” BJP Lawmaker Saroj Padhy said.
Congress also criticised Shri Das as Governor. “Odisha’s law and order began to worsen the day the police failed to take action against his son. He should have resigned from his post the very day his son assaulted a government employee,” said former Minister and senior Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo