After releasing the Sankalp Patra for Odisha, National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) JP Nadda spoke about a host of issues including the condition of agriculture, irrigation and political culture in Odisha during an exclusive interview with Radhamadhab Mishra, the news editor of OTV.
Here are some excerpts:
Q: What will you say about the manifesto as a serious document and your claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the culture of politics?
Ans: Prior to the UPA government, a manifesto was treated as a document of tradition. It was made as a mere traditional practice. There was no seriousness for its implementation. Without implementing it, another manifesto is brought next year. Old issues were being repeated. Modiji stressed on politics of performance, politics of accountability and transparency and report card. People grew conscious about report cards. The seriousness of the manifesto assumed importance. Our manifesto is seen as a road map for future course of action. This created the politics of culture. Earlier, promises were made, but forgotten later.
Q: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is aspiring for his sixth term and claimed that his government is well ahead of the development parameters and the Centre is copying their development model. What is your take on it?
Ans: Naveen Babu may be making this claim to amuse himself. He should tell what he had done for farmers despite being voted to power five times in a row. Why condition of farmers in Odisha is miserable? What is the reason for the Odisha farmers making the lowest income in the country? Where is 35 per cent irrigation for farmlands? Poverty is prevalent across the state. Given these facts, Naveen Babu is living in a glass house as he is far from the public. He has no idea about the ground realities. But the reality is that farmers’ condition is deplorable.
Cases of atrocities on women are at their peak. Healthcare and education are in a complete mess. Dropout rates are high while corruption is at its height. Political control on these things has ended while bureaucracy has taken control over it. Development parameters are the lowest in the state.
If the Central government has copied the state government's schemes, the country is moving forward, but why Odisha has remained backward?
Q: SHGs are allegedly being involved in politics by giving benefits. It is said that SHGs may be stopped. What is your take on the Subhadra scheme as mentioned in the Sankalp Patra?
Ans: When a person starts misleading people, holds misconceptions about another and creates fears, it means that person has admitted his defeat. Such misinformation about the opposition party points to his (Naveen Babu) defeat at the mental level. Hence, here policy is to spread lies about the opposition.