New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the Modi government of ‘politicizing bureaucracy and armed forces’ by issuing orders to officials and soldiers to ‘publicize’ the government’s achievements of the last nine years. He has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, demanding that the orders be withdrawn immediately.
In his letter, Kharge referred to two orders issued by the government in October 2023. The first order, dated October 18, directs high-ranking senior officers like joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries to act as ‘rath in-charges’ in all 765 districts of the country and ‘promote the achievements of the Government of India in the last nine years.’ Kharge has claimed that this order turns the senior officials into ‘political activists of the ruling party’ and violates the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, which prohibit government servants from participating in any political activity.
The second order, dated October 9, instructs the soldiers on annual leave to spend their time promoting government schemes by making them ‘military ambassadors’. Kharge has alleged that this order is an attempt to ‘politicize our armed forces’ and use them for the ‘propaganda activity’ of the current government. He has said that this order disrespects the soldiers who risk their lives for the nation.
Kharge has also pointed out that focusing on the ‘achievements’ of the last nine years is a ‘political gimmick’ for the upcoming state and 2024 general elections. He has said that if senior officials and soldiers are engaged in the ‘publicity activities’ of the present government, then the governance of the country will come to a standstill for the next six months.
Kharge has urged the Prime Minister to withdraw the orders in view of protecting democracy and the Constitution. He has also shared his letter on ‘X’, a social media platform, and criticized the Modi government for making all agencies, institutions, establishments, and departments of the government into ‘propagandists’.
