Bhubaneswar: The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Monday sent out an ominous warning to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying it would be ruined if it played politics in the name of the Lord just as it had happened to others in the past.
While addressing party men during his day-long visit to the state Sunday, BJP chief Amit Shah had criticised the BJD government over the missing keys of Srimandir’s Ratna Bhandar.
“If a government cannot safeguard religious sentiments of the people, how can it protect the interest of the masses?” Shah had asked.
Objecting to Shah’s statement on the issue, BJD spokesperson and MP Pratap Keshari Deb said, “It is highly condemnable to do politics in the name of Lord Jagannath. Those who had tried to do it in the past were ruined.”
During his visit, Shah had said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been unable to develop the state, despite receiving Rs 4 lakh crore from the Centre.
Rejecting Shah’s claim, Deb said, “He is making such statements because the BJP has run out of issues against the BJD.”
“Despite this, if the Naveen Patnaik government fails to develop the state, he should vacate the office,” Shah had said further.
“He (Shah) is telling half-truths. The fact is that the Centre has changed the funding pattern for a number of centrally-sponsored schemes, because of which our state has suffered a lot,” Deb said.
Stating that people of Odisha were aware of the BJP’s false propaganda, the BJD leader said they would teach the saffron party a lesson in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
BJP gimmicks cannot win over state people: PCC
Bhubaneswar: Hitting out at the BJP-led Modi government at the Centre for allegedly failing to deliver on its promises, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) said people of the state don’t believe in BJP’s gimmicks.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Narendra Modi has completed four years in power, but has failed in all aspects, said PCC president Niranjan Patnaik.
Patnaik said BJP had grabbed power in many states where it had no majority with money power. He claimed that resentment has started brewing among NDA partners. “Now, BJP’s eyes are on Odisha. Prime Minister, party president Amit Shah and several central ministers are visiting the state on a regular basis. But they are dreaming. They are not going to get anything out from here”, said Patnaik.
Stating that the Modi government had promised to provide power to every village and every household, the Congress leader said, “A week ago, a joint secretary in Ministry of Power had made it clear that the Centre was only responsible for infrastructure and cannot guarantee uninterrupted power supply.”
“Saying that the distribution companies and state governments are responsible for the power failure, the Centre is trying to shirk responsibilities,” he added.
Taking a dig at the BJP leaders on Mahanadi issue, Patnaik said, “BJP leaders are good speakers, but it won’t solve the problem. Their government in Chhattisgarh constructed unauthorised barrages over river Mahanadi and Odisha remained dry in summer.”
He added, “Chhattisgarh is now constructing barrage on river Tel, the major tributary of Mahanadi and Centre is helping them do it.”
Patnaik lambasted Modi over demonetisation and said it was a “dictatorial” move. “Modi announced demonetisation and said it would wipe out black money but only left the public suffering in the scorching sun,” he said.
Pointing out a recent report which said that deposits from India in Swiss banks had grown over 50 per cent during 2017, Patnaik said, “But, after demonetisation Rs 7,000 crore has been deposited in Swiss banks as black money.”
