Bhubaneswar,:Subarnapur district collector Nruparaj Sahu has landed in controversy after allegedly making a political remark during an official event attended by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties.
Addressing the ‘Subhadra Shakti Mela’ in Sonepur on Sunday, Sahu appeared to allude to a change in governance style following the formation of the BJP government in the state. In his speech, he said, “There was a time when the rulers adopted a ‘touch me not, speak me not, see me not’ culture. The present government has completely eradicated this culture.”
Although the senior Odisha Administrative Service officer did not name any political party or individual, his remarks were widely perceived as a veiled criticism of the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government led by Naveen Patnaik, which was in power from 2000 to 2024.
Opposition leaders accused the collector of violating the political neutrality expected of civil servants and demanded an explanation for the comments made at an official forum. The issue has triggered a political row, with calls for administrative accountability and adherence to service conduct rules.
No official response had been issued by the state government or the district administration at the time of filing this report.
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