The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused IPS officer DS Kutey of working for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) by staying at the Chief Minister's Office(CMO). A delegation of the saffron party lodged a complaint in this regard with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Monday.
The BJP pointed out that even though the Election Commission of India (ECI) has already barred the IPS officer from election duty, he has been appointed as the special secretary at the CMO and is getting multiple works of the ruling party done through the SPs and IICs of various police stations.
As the IPS has been working on behalf of the BJD, his cellphones should be seized immediately and call details record (CDR) be retrieved, the BJP demanded before the CEO.
The BJP urged the CEO to probe the CDR and make the information public as to whom the IPS officer has spoken to.
Senior BJP leader Samir Mohanty told the media, "The model code of conduct is in force and the ECI barred the IPS from taking part in any election duty. However, it has been seen that Kutey is calling SPs, IICs and political leaders. He has been working on partisan lines. This is a violation of the poll MCC.”
He added that the BJP has urged the CEO to seize the IPS officer’s mobile phones and examine his CDR.
No response was received from Kutey.
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On the other hand, politics has warmed up over the issue. In a seeming countermeasure, the BJD has written a letter to the ECI, alleging that the BJP has been threatening government officials with transfers by taking the name of the ECI.
BJD leader Sasmit Patra said, "When the BJP leaders are sensing that their party is going to lose the polls, their only habit is to start opposing the government officers. All such things have been noticed in the 2019 elections, byelections.”
Patra also claimed that the Odisha BJP leaders and candidates are misusing the name of ECI and threatening Odisha govt officials with transfers if these officials don't support the Odisha BJP in the 2024 elections.