Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Thursday condemned the remarks made by ruling BJP leaders concerning the age of party chief Naveen Patnaik and described them as “unfortunate and reflective of intolerance”.
BJD president and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik turned 80 October 16 this year.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said, “We strongly condemn the recent remarks made by BJP leaders concerning age. Political differences should never justify personal attacks or disrespect towards senior leaders. The remarks made by Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida and other BJP leaders about the age of Naveen Patnaik are unfortunate and reflect intolerance.”
Mohanty made the remarks after Parida and BJP state vice-president Jatin Mohanty allegedly commented adversely on Patnaik’s age. “Is this the ‘sanskar’ BJP leaders learnt from the RSS? Elderly persons are attacked over their age. This is not acceptable in Indian culture,” he said.
He pointed out that Naveen Patnaik is 80 years old, just three years older than Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
“If the BJD were to raise questions about the age of the Prime Minister and the RSS chief, would the BJP consider such remarks appropriate? Would the BJP tolerate similar personal comments directed against senior leaders of its own party? Naveen Patnaik is a statesman whose public life has been characterised by simplicity, dignity and unwavering dedication to the service of the people of Odisha,” Mohanty told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Jatin Mohanty said: “A post on his (Patnaik’s) social media handle on X suggests that his personal condition, which is affected by age-related issues, mirrors the current stance of his party. This clearly reflects his bankrupt mindset”.
The BJD spokesperson said BJP leaders, who frequently speak about respecting elders, should also show respect for senior political leaders.
“In a democracy, disagreement with the views or decisions of a political leader is natural. However, repeatedly targeting a leader based on age is neither a sign of political maturity nor an indication of a healthy democratic culture,” he said.