Controversial and suspended Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Basant Rath on Sunday announced joining the ruling BJP to serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
"I'll join BJP before the next Parliamentary elections. I'll stay and work in J and K and Ladakh. No question of going back to Odisha", Basant Rath tweeted from his Twitter.
Basant Rath's announcement to join BJP evoked mixed reactions on social media. Rath has a large following on social media.
"Politics doesn't come in plate. It isn't a UPSC exam to be cracked in a year's solitude. Have the guts to launch your own party and struggle for a while. People would love and vote you based on your grassroots connection not you being a former boss of a battalion or BJP", a netizen reacted.
"You will not win in Kashmir on a BJP ticket, but if you contest as an independent candidate you will win for sure (100%)", one of his follower tweeted.
Earlier Rath offered to resign from the service
Earlier in June 2021, Basant Rath, while announcing to resign from service, hinted to join politics to contest elections in Kashmir. Basant Rath announced his resignation from service on his Twitter handle. He also posted the resignation letter that he has written to the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir.
I'll join BJP before the next Parliamentary elections. I'll stay and work in J and K and Ladakh. No question of going back to Odisha. https://t.co/f05C16U19I
— ବସନ୍ତ بسنت बसंत (@KangriCarrier) January 8, 2023
In his letter addressed to J&K Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta and marked to Director General of Police Dilbag Singh and the then Commandant General Home Guard H K Lohia, Rath said "I wish to resign from the Indian Police Service in order to be able to participate in electoral politics. Please consider this letter as my request for resignation/voluntary retirement and process it accordingly".
Rath wrote "If I ever join a political party, it will be BJP. If I ever contest an election, it will be from Kashmir. If I ever join politics, it will be before March 6, 2024.", he had tweeted.
Suspended in July 2020 for "gross misconduct"
Known for stoking controversies, Basant Rath was suspended by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in July 2020 after he filed a police complaint against the Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh.
Rath was placed under suspension with immediate effect for "repeated instances of gross misconduct and misbehaviour".
It was clearly mentioned in his suspension order that during the period that this order shall remain in force, the headquarters of Basant Rath shall be Jammu, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Basant Rath shall not leave the said headquarters without obtaining permission from DGP, Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Earlier Rath lodged a complaint against DGP
In June 2020 Basant Kumar Rath filed a written complaint against J&K DGP Dilbag Singh at Jammu's Gandhi Nagar Police Station. In his complaint, the 2000 batch IPS officer asked the police to take cognizance of "threats to his life and liberty" which he alleged were given to him by the top cop.
"I am writing to you to take note of my genuine apprehensions about my safety and reputation. I am not asking you to lodge an FIR against the person mentioned above (DGP). I am just asking you to make this letter a part of the daily dairy in your station. In case something bad happens to me, you should know whose number to dial," Basant Rath mentioned in the letter he wrote to the Gandhi Nagar Police Station SHO.
