Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Mar, 19
Alleging politicization of bureaucracy in the state and open promotion of a particular political party by certain unscrupulous officers, a strong contingent of JKNPP led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and former Minister today held a massive demonstration outside the office of Chief Electoral Officer J&K. The angry protestors raised slogans against BJP for sheltering such officers and sought strict action against delinquent officers acting as political agents.
Addressing media persons Mr. Harsh Dev re-iterated the demand for removal of biased and corrupt officers from sensitive postings. He said that placement of several such officers on prime positions during ensuing elections was highly unjust and capricious as they could influence the polls in a big way. He regretted that despite repeated complaints against some of such officers, the govt had failed to take action against them thereby revealing the vested interests of the helmsmen in giving them sensitive postings. He regretted non initiation of action for abuse of position and authority by reckless govt functionaries for furthering political prospects of their political masters.
Asserting that the slogan of free and fair elections could not materialize under the motivated and prejudiced officers, Mr. Singh called for indulgence of ECI for shifting of such officers from prime positions besides initiation of action against those who were overzealously working under the tutelage of politicians and promoting their interests in utter disregard for civil service regulations and election laws. Such transgressions into the political arena by unscrupulous officers had threatened the very concept of liberal democracy as opposition leadership was being bullied and embarrassed, he said. These officers were further resorting to political victimization with several complaints against them in Udhampur district having been overlooked by a politicized bureaucracy.
Seeking action on a few of the complaints lodged by the Panthers Party in the past, Mr. Singh pointed out that a Dy. SP in District Udhampur had openly campaigned for BJP during Municipal elections in October-November 2018 besides using his subordinate police personnel to propagate his political philosophy. The said officer had now been threatening the people in his jurisdiction to desist from attending political rallies of JKNPP or else they would be booked in false cases, he alleged. The supporters of NPP were being threatened, intimidated and implicated in false cases with even their basic rights as free citizens having been suspended, he maintained. Likewise some local BDOs of RDD especially of Block Majalta, Block Chanunta, Block Parly Dhar of District Udhampur were openly announcing to release the wages and other dues of labourers and Jobs card holders under MGNREGA to only those claimants who agreed to support the candidates of a particular political party, he lamented. How could free and fair elections be possible when the govt functionaries had openly waded into the domain of politics and were working in furtherance of the political interests of their masters, questioned Singh? Urging upon the ECI and CEO J&K to take cognizance of the brazen politicization of administration, Mr. Singh said that NPP shall continue to agitate the matter in all possible foras till action was initiated against such officers.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Khajoor Singh, Sukhjit Singh, Angrez Singh, Bhavishan Singh, Surinder Chouhan, Rampaul Sharma, K.K Sharma, Mohinder Singh, Udhayveer Singh, Joginder Singh, Rakesh Verma besides others.
