BJD did not respect Biju Babu, Naveen Patnaik didn’t even collect his ashes: BJP MLA

Alleged disrespect of Biju Patnaik has become the centre of political debate in Odisha, with BJP criticising the BJD supremo and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Monday over the handling of his father’s name and fame.

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BJP legislator Babu Singh alleged that the BJD has failed to accord Biju Patnaik the respect he deserved both during his lifetime and after his demise.

This is what BJP MLA Babu Singh claims

MLA Singh claimed that during Biju Patnaik’s final days, Naveen Patnaik ceased visiting him at the hospital, suggesting an element of disdain. Allegedly, Naveen also refrained from attending to his father even as his health condition worsened.
Additionally, accusations were made regarding unpaid hospital bills following Biju Patnaik’s death. It was purportedly only through the intervention of former minister Dilip Ray, who settled the dues, that Biju Patnaik’s body was subsequently released from hospital.

Babu Singh further alleged that Naveen Patnaik did not undertake the responsibility of collecting or immersing Biju Patnaik’s ashes. Instead, this task was handled by senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra, who held the ashes at his official residence for nearly three years before immersing them.
In light of these accusations, MLA Singh questioned if such actions reflected respect for Biju Patnaik. “BJD is the party that did not respect Biju Babu when he was alive and even after he died. BJD was formed based on his name and Naveen Patnaik became its president, but he never visited Biju Babu and hated him,” the BJP leader expressed.

Naveen Patnaik has yet to respond to these allegations, while BJD legislator Sarada Jena dismissed them outright as fabrications.

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“Lots of things can be said in a fabricated story. However, you (media) all know very well what is true and what is false in this. The politics being done in the name of such a great son is not right,” BJD’s Sarada Jena stated.