BJP meets Odisha CEO, demands dismissal of 4 officials including Pandian

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the Bijepur bypoll scheduled to be held on February 24, a delegation of BJP led by party’s vice president Sameer Mohanty today met Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar here seeking dismissal of four bureaucrats of the state including V Karthikeyan Pandian, the private secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Accusing Pandian, his wife and IAS officer Sujata Karthikeyan, D.S. Kutey, IPS, Officer on Special Duty to CM and Gopabandhu Dash, OAS, Joint Secretary to CM of working for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the saffron party has demanded their dismissal.

The party further alleged that these officers are indulged in misuse of their official posts in furthering the interests of the ruling BJD.

“We allege that the four officers are working for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) thereby violating the code of conduct. Hence, action should be taken on them. They should be dismissed. We met the CEO, Odisha today and submitted a memorandum to him in this regard,” said Mohanty.

Earlier in the day, several workers of BJP had barged into the official residence of Pandian here and hurled cow dung at the main gate. The saffron party activists waiving BJP flags stormed into the official’s residence, broke flower pots, damaged few vehicles parked on the premises and pelted stones.