A day after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Raghubar Das as Odisha’s Governor, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday (December 25, 2024) criticized the Mohan Majhi-led government, alleging that its inaction against the outgoing Governor’s son—accused of assaulting a government employee— exposed the State government’s incompetence.
“After BJP government came to power, the son of Mr. Das was alleged to have assaulted the government employee and forced him to lick his spit. Despite the allegations being grave in nature, no action was taken against the culprit,” said Lenin Mohanty, BJD spokesperson.
“The incident deeply hurt the sentiments of the people in the State. The BJD strongly raised the issue, disrupting Assembly proceedings and demanding swift action against the Governor’s son. Although the State government directed the Puri district collector to submit a report within 15 days, the directive remained merely an announcement, with no action taken thereafter,” he said.
“No one is above the law. From the very beginning of the BJP government in the State, there was a blatant display of a deteriorating law-and-order situation. Although the Centre eventually replaced Raghubar Das, questions lingered about whether the law would take its course, especially concerning allegations against his son,” the BJD wondered.
The alleged assault had taken place in Raj Bhawan of Puri on July 7 during the visit of President of India. Opposition parties BJD and Congress had taken to the street demanding stern action against the attacker.
Outgoing Governor Raghubar Das, in a press release, expressed deep gratitude to the people of Odisha for their love and happiness during his 13-month tenure. He stated that Odisha will always hold a special place in his heart and announced his resignation due to personal reasons. The resignation of Mr. Das had triggered massive speculation of him returning to active politics.
“I will sincerely work in whatever role my party entrusts me with,” said Mr. Das after visiting the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Shortly after Mr. Das assumed office as the Governor of Odisha, his extensive tours across various parts of the State last year sparked political controversy. The former Chief Minister of Jharkhand had shot off letters to the then CM Naveen Patnaik, on governance issues. The regional party had criticized those visits, claiming they were politically motivated rather than aimed at addressing public grievances.
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