Basant Rath hints out at joining BJP; wants to contest polls against ex-CMs in JK

Days after tendering his resignation from Indian Police Service, senior IPS officer from Odisha, Basant Rath has hinted out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to begin his political career.

On his unverified Twitter handle @KangriCarrier, Rath said, “If the BJP high-command allows me, I’ll contest against Omar Abdullah who was my chief minister when I was the police chief in Jammu, and Mehbooba Mufti who was my chief minister when I was the chief of traffic police in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Recently the IPS officer resigned from his post to join electoral politics. In a letter to the Chief Secretary of JK, Rath said, “Please accept my humble request for voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service ahead of my service period. I wish to join electoral politics in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. I am indebted to the Government of India for giving me the privilege to serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as a member of Indian Police Service.”

“It has been an honour to have served in the coveted IPS and I leave with great sense of gratification and sense of attainment that I gave my best to my people. I hope that you will accept my request for voluntary retirement and oblige me,” read the letter.