Kharge urges PM to withdraw order asking jawans, babus to showcase NDA govt’s achievements

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Insists on keeping politics out of armed forces

He also referred to another order by the Ministry of Defence, on 9 October, directing soldiers on annual leave to spend time promoting government schemes, making them “soldier-ambassadors”.

He said in the letter, which was posted on X (formerly Twitter), that all agencies, institutions, arms, wings, and departments of the government were currently the official pracharaks of the Modi government.

The AICC president, referring to the instructions to the Defence Ministry, said that it was of utmost importance in a democracy that the armed forces were kept out of politics.

“The loyalty of every jawan is to the nation and the Constitution. To force our soldiers to become marketing agents of government schemes is a dangerous step towards the politicisation of the armed forces,” he said.

He said the jawans after months or years of difficult service to our nation, deserved freedom on their annual leave.

“Their leave should not be hijacked for political purposes,” he said. Kharge added that the order was violative of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules,1964.

For the Modi Govt, all agencies, institutions, arms, wings, and departments of the government are now officially 'Pracharaks' !

In view of protecting our democracy and our Constitution, it is imperative that the orders which would lead to the politicising of Bureaucracy and our… pic.twitter.com/t9hq0N4Ro4

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 22, 2023

‘Govt departments acting as election departments’

Kharge alleged that the latest order was in addition to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Income-Tax Department and the CBI already acting as election arms of the BJP.

He said the recent orders put the entire government machinery to work as if they were the agents of the ruling party and demanded that the order be withdrawn immediately.

Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said he was writing on a matter of great public importance which was of concern not just to the INDIA parties but also to 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 political party,” he added.

“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 Congress leader opined.

“The fact that only ‘achievements’ of the last nine 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,” the Congress chief alleged.

He said if senior officials of various department were deputed for “marketing activity” of the current government, the governance of the country would grind to a halt in the next six months.

“In view of protecting our democracy and our Constitution, it is imperative that the above orders are withdrawn immediately,” Kharge urged the prime minister.

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Ex-bureaucrat asks ECI to revoke order

Meanwhile, former secretary to the Union government, EAS Sarma, requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ask the Union government to revoke instructions issued to various ministries to showcase or celebrate achievements of the NDA government and impose a deterrent penalty on the parties involved in violation of rules when Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Sarma said the Department of Personnel seemed to have instructed all ministries to nominate senior officers as “District Rath Praharis” under their purview to showcase or celebrate achievements of the NDA government during the last nine years through “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra” from 20 November, 2023, to 25 January, 2024, overlapping the Assembly election schedules.

“I understand that several ministries have issued instructions based on it. For instance, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued a communication on 18 October, 2023, based on the above-referred letter. There have been reports that the Defence Ministry also issued instructions to its officers,” he said.

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‘Not appropriate in the long run’

“It is a matter of serious concern that officers of the defence forces should be mis-deployed for showcasing the NDA government’s achievements. It may not be appropriate in the long run,” he explained.

“To the best of my knowledge, the instructions were issued when MCC had already come into force and, as such, they amount to its brazen infringement, as they place the NDA government at an advantage vis-a-vis the political parties in the Opposition, amounting to the misuse of government machinery for activity that will influence elections,” he said.

“I therefore request you to direct the Union government to revoke the instructions forthwith and also impose a deterrent penalty on the parties involved in such an MCC violation,” he urged.

Speaking to the South First, Sarma, said that it was not proper on the government’s part to issue instructions when MCC was in force for Assembly elections in five states.

Penalty must be imposed against the parties for violating the MCC, he added.