Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) chief Niranjan Patnaik today launched a scathing attack on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging their indifference to the issues concerning the people of Odisha. He accused Naveen-Modi of trying to fool the people by promising false assurances.
The OPCC chief said that Modi's visit to Odisha cleared the political scenario and proved that the BJP and the BJD have an anti-farmer stance and they share secret ties. However, the BJD once again reiterated its position of maintaining equidistance from both.
"Both Naveen and Modi have betrayed people of Odisha. Naveen babu had declared 75% irrigation in each block... Has it been done even in a single block out of the 314 in the State? He thinks people of Odisha are fools. They are trying to hoodwink people by taking the name of Lord Jagannath. The doubt about a secret unholy nexus between the BJP and the BJD has been proved true," said Patnaik.
In response to Patnaik's allegation of secret ties, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said that the party has always maintained equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. "We have always maintained an equidistant political stance both from the BJP and the Congress. We are accountable to people of Odisha because they have reposed faith on us for four consecutive times and we don't need to answer the BJP or the Congress," he said.
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Further hitting out at Patnaik, Deb said there was a time when the OPCC chief himself was saying that the Congress' agenda is being set by CM Naveen. "Jaydev Jena is already on record to say Naveen babu is the president of Congress," said Deb.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in response to Patnaik’s allegation on a nexus between the BJP and BJD, too left no opportunity to lash back at Niranjan Patnaik and stated, everyone knows who has a nexus with whom.
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“The PM had clearly questioned the state government on eight points. Had there been a nexus the PM would not have touched the raw nerves of the BJD. Everyone knows who is the demon of corruption here. Several people are in jail for their involvement in chit fund scam... Whose MLAs and MPs are behind bars? Interrogation of whose ministers are on for their alleged involvement in the scam? Who set the platform to loot the minerals in Odisha? Who are the mines mafia? Who are taking PC (percentage commission) and who are suffering due to such a culture? All are aware about these questions and people of Odisha will answer these at appropriate time."
Lashing out at the Odisha government, he further said that people know who is feeding the 'demon' of mines, chit fund and PC; and its 'mahanayak' is none other than the ruling party in the State.