‘Our working style forcing them to visit villages’: Odisha CM Mohan Majhi’s veiled attack on Naveen Patnaik

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched a broadside against former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik from the dais of the Freedom Fighters' Mahotsav on Thursday. 

Majhi asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is effectively honouring its commitments to promote development and serve the public. He contrasted this with the previous government, suggesting that people now have the opportunity to interact with their leaders, who are purportedly motivated to engage directly with the public due to the BJP’s active governance style.

Launching a veiled attack on the leaders of the previous government, the Chief Minister said those who were once living in ivory towers are now forced to visit rural areas. It is because of the BJP’’s style of functioning. Seeing his party’s style of working, they are now getting upset. 

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“Those who were working for such a long period were far from meeting people and being called a People’s Government. Now, seeing our style of functioning, many leaders are forced to visit grassroots levels.  They have now come out of the Ivory Tower and are forced to move in the dusty lanes of the villages. I want to tell them who were once confining themselves in the Ivory Tower that they don’t need to get upset seeing our style of working,” he said. 

Sharing the stage was Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik, who also faced criticism from Majhi. He questioned the label of Odisha being the poorest state and asked for introspection on where the responsibility lies.

Majhi directed criticism towards past governments, alleging that if genuine progress for Odisha was a goal, then they must be held accountable for the state's current condition. People had given them opportunities many times, he said.

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By the grace of God, the BJP has formed the government. In the last six months, we have delivered what we promised. Today Ministers are visiting villages unlike confining themselves to the Lok Seva Bhawan. Even at the time of cyclone Dana, our Ministers were on the ground, said Majhi. 

In this regard, no comments were received from Naveen Patnaik.