Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday asked legislators of the ruling BJD to strongly oppose the “pernicious moves” by the Opposition Congress and BJP to “give legitimacy to criminalised elements” both in and outside the Assembly during the budget session commencing Tuesday.
Presiding over the BJD legislature party meeting, Patnaik said, “My government’s recent drive against criminalized elements has earned widespread public appreciation. But the Opposition parties, with their oblique motives, are making serious attempts to derail this process by unnecessarily politicising the issue”.
Lashing out at the Opposition, he said, “I believe they (Congress and BJP) want to give legitimacy to such criminalized elements.” The CM’s statement comes in the wake of protests by Congress against the arrest of former Congress MLA Ramesh Jena for his alleged involvement in criminal activities. Patnaik sounded very confident of the support of the state’s people, saying they “can see through this design (of the Opposition parties) and reject them”. He urged BJD legislators to strongly counter the efforts by the Opposition parties to portray the government’s well-intentioned moves as dishonest and politically motivated.
He said the BJD government is committed to a safe society that is free from fear and terror. “We will continue to work for such a society at any cost,” he said.
The CM asked all members of the ruling party to prepare themselves fully to take part in the discussions to be taken up in the House during the session. He also asked the government’s chief whip and the deputy chief whip to coordinate effectively with the ruling party members so that quorum of the House is maintained during the budget session.
While the Opposition parties are gearing up to corner the ruling party on issues such as the NFSA goof-up, alleged political nexus of the Dhalasamanta brothers, the arrest of former Congress MLA Ramesh Jena, the crisis of spiraling potato price, poor drinking water facility, etc., the ruling party also finalised its strategy during the legislature party meeting to counter the Opposition’s attacks.
BJD leaders said members of the treasury bench will raise in the House issues such as central negligence, loss of `4,600 crore to the state in the Union budget 2016-17, poor allocation of funds for the irrigation sector, Polavaram issue, the Centre’s delay in release of drought aid and the denial of special category status to the state.