TNI Bureau: The Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has targeted the state ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) at a mega press meet in Bhubaneswar today and raised several questions.
The press meet was addressed by senior party leaders like State president Manmohan Samal, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Pratap Sarangi, Aparajita Sarangi and Baijayant Panda.
While speaking to the newsmen, senior part leader Pratap Sarangi alleges Odisha government’s involvement in the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who was killed on August 23, 2008 in Kandhamal. Saraswati was a vocal about conversions in the area due to which there was a threat to his life. However, no steps were taken to tighten his security, which was the responsibility of the State Home Department headed by CM Naveen Patnaik. Why has the Odisha govt not made reports of Swami Laxmanananda’s murder public, he asked.
Speaking on the occasion, Aparajita Sarangi said that BJD opposed the process of development of Odisha. While raising about the expenditure of the money spent on Jagannath Parikrama Project, the Bhubaneswar MP candidate asked the people of the state to check the credentials of the south Indian firm, Bhoomi Putra, which was entrusted by the Odisha government to make the plans for the Rs 4200 crore project.
By calling senior BJD leader VK Pandian as Sana babu, she also accused him of hijacking the governance in Odisha for the last 5 years as no one is allowed to meet the CM without his permission. She also asked Pandian, who is desperate to become Bada babu (Chief Minister), what was the motive behind handing over the project to the architectural firm ‘Bhoomi Putra’ which had no prior expertise.
Aparajita further alleged that Odisha government is providing power to Tamil Nadu Generation Distribution Corporation at lower rates (2.52 paisa per unit) while charging its own consumers more ( 2.82 paisa per unit) for the same? What’s the reason behind such favour, she asked.
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Joining Aparajita in attacking the Odisha government, BJP National VP Baijayant Panda alleged that the State government has been outsourced and it is very concerning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also raised this issue.
“The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik whom the people had voted to power is being controlled like a puppet by a single person. He was not like this before 2018. It is personally hurtful for me to see Naveen Patnaik like this as my family shared a cordial relationship with the family of late Biju Patnaik for decades,” Panda said.
He also asked the people of Odisha to free Naveen from “house arrest” alleging that the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is being controlled like a puppet and his AI-generated and deepfake videos are in circulation.
Likewise, BJP’s Sambalpur Lok Sabha candidate and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan slammed the State government alleging that it has failed in the last 25 years – be it in terms of per capita income, drinking water, education, healthcare facilities or safety & security of women or even protecting the ‘Odia Asmita.’ It’s time for a change in governance in Odisha, he said.
Similarly, Manmohan Samal alleged that BJD is creating confusion with misleading statements to save their own party by saying that BJP is trying to dismantle BJD. It shows that they don’t have the courage to accept defeat.
The ‘Gumasta’ says that he will take Sanyas in case of defeat. In politics, victory or defeat is a natural process but the way the government is functioning is really concerning, he said adding that there is no democracy in BJD and they are pointing fingers at others.
The State president promised that BJP will fulfill each and everything highlighted and promised in the party’s election manifesto.
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