NEW DELHI: Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday shared an incident from the past when an inspector asked him to “get out” of a police station. Majhi made the remark after inaugurating the two-day collectors’ conference at Lok Seva Bhawan.
Reflecting on his experience that took place barely a month before he became CM, Majhi recalled how residents of Raisuan and Gopinathpur panchayats in Keonjhar constituency had staged a protest over a drinking water crisis by blocking NH-20 on May 2, during the simultaneous polls in Odisha.
Majhi assured the protesters he would raise their concerns with the executive engineer of the department. However, when the then inspector in-charge, Trinath Sethi, invited the protesters to the police station, he questioned Majhi’s presence, disregarding his role as an MLA.
“The inspector questioned my presence at the police station, stating the Model Code of Conduct was in effect, and told me to ‘get out’ or he would arrest me,” Majhi said.
“Can’t an MLA, who is also a candidate, visit the police station with people’s problems?” Majhi questioned.
Feeling humiliated, Majhi staged a sit-in outside the police station, demanding accountability for the inspector’s actions.
“Thanks to Lord Jagannath’s blessings, I became the CM. I could only imagine the inspector’s situation afterwards. I forgave him, believing he acted under pressure,” Majhi remarked while stressing the importance of police stations treating citizens with respect.
He further stated that when people come to file complaints, they should be taken seriously and directed to senior officials to ensure such issues are looked into.
Majhi also cited an example involving President Droupadi Murmu, who faced disrespect from a district collector while serving as a minister two decades ago in Keonjhar.
He recalled another incident when President Murmu, then a minister in the BJD-BJP coalition government, was visiting a place with a central minister. “The district collector greeted only the Union minister. The officer did not even apologise for not greeting her,” Majhi noted.
In closing, he urged officials to change these practices and foster a culture of respect and accountability within government institutions.
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