EC must not act haphazardly: If use of Padma word by Tirkey is bad, why BJD as a contesting party has not been banned?

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

Election Commission has instructed Dillip Tirkey not to use the “Padma” word in depicting the Padma Shree he has been decorated with, while projecting his suitability as a candidate before the voters of Sundergarh from where he is contesting for the Lok Sabha.

It is a legally correct step and we fully endorse it.

But what about Biju Janata Dal?

The “Biju” word should have been dropped from the said party as it is contesting for both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha when almost all welfare programs that influences the voters are named after Biju, the father of the present Chief Minister who has contrived this mischief to mislead the voters and bag their votes. Had BJD not dropped the Biju name, it should have been banned, as all most all welfare programs and public places and institutes are named after Biju.

Look at the mischief:

Biju KBK Yojana,

Biju Setu Yojana,

Biju Gajapati Yojana,

Biju Kandhamal Yojana,

Biju Krusak Kalyan Yojana,

Biju Gramya Bidyut Yojana,

Biju Saharanchal Bidyutikaran Yojana,

Biju Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana,

Biju Gramina Magana Swasthya Sibira Yojana.

These and suchlike welfare programs founded and funded by Orissa Government are mischievously, willfully, calculatedly and intentionally named after Biju Patnaik by his son Naveen Patnaik who has misused his chief minister position to make his party – Biju Janata Dal – be viewed by the voters as synonymous with welfare. This is the worst political misappropriation of the State exchequer, and the most harmful arsenal created to damage electoral wisdom, the like of which is never to be found in India.

On March 5, we had attracted the attention of the EC to this hazardous mischief under the caption: Election Commission now must ban operation of all Orissa Projects named after Biju Patnaik, as projection thereof was bound to mesmerize and mislead the voters.

The EC has not acted responsibly in this case. All these state projects named after Biju are being projected in massive advertisements and election rallies. Voters are unable to differentiate between Biju Janata Dal and Biju named welfare projects.

So, it is clear that in banning use of “Padma” word by Tirkey while not banning welfare projects named after Biju when the party named after him is seeking mandate, the EC has been working haphazardly and against the very spirit of fair election.