While Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his Ministers showed no interest to join the ‘Swachh Bharat Campaign’ launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan took the lead by taking up the broom at the Railway Station in Bhubaneswar.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram too joined the campaign by doing his bit in Rourkela. The Ministers were joined by BJP leaders and many common people in this noble cause. The politicians of BJD and Congress as well as the bureaucrats give the campaign a miss for mysterious reasons.
The Modi Sena undertook the mission outside the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. The mission was launched across Odisha with BJP and RSS leaders taking the lead. BJD and Congress stayed away from the campaign.
Only a few days ago, BMC Mayor Anant Narayan Jena had launched this program in Bhubaneswar, while showing it as Naveen Patnaik scheme with his picture on forefront. But, on the D-Day, BJD chose to ignore it, fearing mileage for the BJP. Most Ministers, MPs and MLAs are busy campaigning in Kandhamal LS bypolls where the BJD is facing tough challenges from the BJP.
However, Odisha Governor SC Jamir joined the campaign by sweeping the ground at the Raj Bhavan. It’s an irony that our own Chief Minister, who always prefer to remain clean whether it’s environment or his own image, showed no interest to make this apolitical campaign a success in Odisha. His home district Ganjam is lying at bottom low when it comes to cleanliness or sanitation. Open defecation is prevalent across the Ganjam district even today.
