Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Wednesday likened critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “cockroaches”, accusing them of attempting to create anarchy and disrupt the country’s development.
Addressing a gathering at Kalinanagar in Jajpur district, Majhi said while India was progressing under Modi’s leadership, some critics were trying to obstruct the process by turning non-issues into issues.
“When India under Modi’s leadership is progressing and taking leaps towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’, some critics roam here and there like cockroaches, indulging in anti-national activities, attempting to disrupt development. They are attempting to create anarchy, instability and disturbances in the country by making non-issues into issues. Neither do these opponents have any vision for development nor any determination for the development of the state,” Majhi said.
Without naming any party, organisation or individual, the chief minister said his critics had only one agenda — to launch agitations and create narratives to remain relevant.
“Keep it in mind that when we are busy with development, they are busy with movements. They are busy with politics when we are busy with Odisha’s progress,” he said, alleging that his opponents were staging protests in the state capital and New Delhi instead of working for development.
Majhi accused the critics of indulging in politics at the cost of national interests and said they had little concern for the country’s progress.
“Modi Ji, on the other hand, is putting his efforts to make India developed and ‘Vishwa Guru’,” he said.
The chief minister’s remarks came amid protests by INDIA bloc parties and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over several issues, including opposition to the MMDR Amendment Act, alleged errors in school textbooks, alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier in the day, BJD president Naveen Patnaik, addressing a party programme in Bhubaneswar, accused the BJP government in Odisha of neglecting the state’s development and prioritising party interests.