Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over two orders directing government employees and armed forces to promote government schemes and demanding immediate withdrawal of the order.
Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge referred to the government order, in which it is said that the Centre has directed senior officers of joint secretary, director and deputy secretary ranks to act as charioteers to publicize the achievements of the BJP government in 9 years.
Kharge wrote that the order violated the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964. It directs that no government employee shall participate in any political activity. Kharge said that the government order is a clear violation of this.
Alleging that senior government officials are being deployed to promote the Modi administration, the Congress president in his letter cited another order issued by the Ministry of Defense on August 9. It directed soldiers to promote government schemes during their annual leave.
Every soldier’s loyalty is to the nation and the constitution. Forcing our soldiers to become marketing agents of government schemes is a dangerous step towards the politicization of the armed forces, Kharge said in his letter to Modi.
Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda defended the orders and said that the basic principle of governance is to deliver government projects to the grassroots level.
