Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday hit out at the Centre during the party’s Janasampark Padayatra programme which will conclude Wednesday.
“In a federal structure, the Centre should remember its responsibility for the development of states,” Patnaik said on the sidelines of the party’s Padayatra organised at Bhubaneswar-Central constituency.
The Chief Minister also said the state government’s faith in federal structure and federal spirit should not be considered its ‘weakness’.
Lashing out at the Centre for its failure to protect Orissa’s genuine interest in Mahanadi and Polavaram water issues, Patnaik said people of the state want justice in both the cases.
Notably, this is the third time the CM came down heavily on the Centre during the Padayatra.
In the previous two occasions, the BJD chief had attacked the Centre for its ‘step-motherly’ attitude towards Orissa. He came down heavily on national parties BJP and Congress accusing them of being more concerned about political interests rather than people’s.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sajjan Sharma, meanwhile, said BJD and its chief were blaming the Centre to cover up their incompetence. He sought to know who is precisely responsible for the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis in Malkangiri and the Dana Majhi episode in Kalahandi district.
Meanwhile, the people’s connect programme of the ruling party which was organised for a month in view of Panchayat elections next year will conclude Wednesday.
The BJD leaders said they received an overwhelming support from the people during their month-long programme and are hopeful of performing well during the upcoming elections.
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