New Delhi: The Indian National Congress has on Sunday accused the protested the BJP-led Government for misusing the administrative machinery for electoral benefits and political propaganda. The party has objected the Modi government’s reported move to depute “senior officers, of ranks as high as Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary, to all 765 districts of India as “Rath Prabharis” to “showcase achievements of the last 9 years of Government of India.”
In a letter the Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged the Prime Minister to keep “the government machinery out of politics, especially so in the months leading up to an election.”
The text of the letter is as follows:
22nd October, 2023
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to you on a matter of great public importance which is of concern not just to the INDIA parties but also to the people at large. This has to do with the gross misuse of government machinery taking place in the country today in service of the ruling party.
I refer first to a recent letter in the public domain dated 18th October 2023, the subject of which states that senior officers, of ranks as high as Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary, are to be deployed to all 765 districts of India. They are to be deployed as “Rath Prabharis” to “showcase achievements of the last 9 years of Government of India.” It is no coincidence that the last 9 years correspond to your tenure in office. This is of grave concern for multiple reasons.
It is a clear violation of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which directs that no government servant shall take part in any political activity. While it is acceptable for government officers to disseminate information, to make them “celebrate” and “showcase” achievements blatantly turns them into political workers of the ruling party. The fact that only “achievements” of the last 9 years are being considered, gives away the fact that this is a transparently political order in the run-up to the five state elections and the general elections of 2024.
If senior officers of departments are being deputed for marketing activity of the current government, the governance of our country will grind to a halt for the next six months.
In addition, I refer to an order passed by the Ministry of Defence on October 9, 2023, directing soldiers on annual leave to spend time on promoting government schemes, making them “soldier-ambassadors.” The Army Training Command, which should be focused on preparing our jawans to defend the nation, is busy preparing scripts and training manuals on how to promote government schemes.
It is of utmost importance in a democracy that the Armed Forces are kept out of politics. The loyalty of every jawan is to the nation and to the Constitution. To force our soldiers to become marketing agents of government schemes is a dangerous step towards politicization of the Armed Forces.
Furthermore, after many months or years of difficult service to our nation, our jawans deserve complete freedom on their annual leave, to spend time with their families and restore energy for continued service. Their leave must not be hijacked for political purposes.
In both cases, of civil servants and soldiers, it is essential that government machinery is kept out of politics, especially so in the months leading up to an election. In addition to the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department and the CBI already acting as election departments of the BJP, the orders mentioned above put the entire government machinery to work as if they are agents of the ruling party. All agencies, institutions, arms, wings, and departments are now officially ‘Pracharaks.’
In view of protecting our democracy and our Constitution, it is imperative that the above orders are withdrawn immediately.
Mallikarjun Kharge
President, Indian National Congress
