A BJP delegation on Saturday moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) and lodged a protest against the Odisha Government providing high security cover to BJD politician VK Pandian.
Pandian, a close aide of CM Naveen Patnaik, has been provided a strong ring of security cover that includes 74 police personnel including two sub-inspectors, 12 Havildars, 56 constables including four women constables. Besides, Pandian has also been given a personal security officer.
Quoting RTI inputs, the BJP said the huge deployment of police personnel results in huge expenditure incurred from the state exchequer.
BJP leader Suratha Biswal said in a memorandum submitted to the ECI through the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha, “When there has been shortage of police personnel in the conduct of general elections 2024, there is no rationale to deploy 74 police staffs to guard the government residential accommodation of VK Pandian. It is not known if there was any security threat to VK Pandian. It is also not known if VK Pandian requested for security. But our concern is incurring such huge expenditure from the public exchequer to promote and support political activities of BID.”
On Friday, RTI activist Prakash Chandra Dash had said, “The State Government spends Rs 3 crore annually for the security of Pandian. It is imperative for the government to clarify whether this security provision is aimed at addressing potential threats or enhancing the individual’s influential image. It’s hard to comprehend why Pandian would require 74 security personnel, especially considering that each minister is allotted two and MLAs receive one each.
