Odisha CM Mohan Majhi claims previous BJD govt conspired to kill him
In October 2021, two motorcycle-borne miscreants had hurled two bombs on the vehicle of Mohan Majhi, who was returning after attending a public meeting
Odisha chief minister Mohan Majhi on Monday alleged that the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government had conspired to kill him for exposing their mismanagement several times-- a claim the BJD has denied.
During his first visit to his assembly constituency of Keonjhar as well as his village Raikala on Monday, Majhi said he had raised many issues in the Assembly and put the government in the dock in last five years between 2019 and 2024. “To take revenge, the previous government had planned to kill me. They tried to kill me in a bomb blast at Mandua in Keonjhar. However, by the grace of people, I survived, God saved me,” he said at a meeting in Jhumpura area of Keonjhar, referring to the attack on him by two unidentified miscreants in October 2021.
Two motorcycle-borne miscreants hurled two bombs on the vehicle of Majhi, who was returning after attending a public meeting. The front panel of Majhi’s car was partly damaged in the attack.
Majhi said he does not fear anyone. “When Maa Tarini is with me, Lord Baladev Jew is with me, Lord Jagannath is with me, the presiding deity of Jhumpura ‘Maa Durga’ is with me and I have blessings from people, why should I fear?” he said. “People had elected me to the State Legislative Assembly to fight against the corrupt system of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government. As long as we have blessings from God, we will work for people,” he added.
Majhi said he would be accessible to all and has no issues with meeting anyone. “Since I took charge as the CM, I am sleeping less and meeting people more. All I need is love from people,” the CM said, asking people to send in their proposals, suggestions, share their problems over phone or meet him in Bhubaneswar. “Whatever work the previous government failed to deliver in the last 24 years, my government will do in five years. The developmental projects will be expedited, and Odisha will become the No.1 state in the country,” he added.
This was Majhi’s first visit to his native place after he assumed the office of chief minister in Odisha. He embarked on two-day trip to his hometown on Sunday. On Monday, after reaching his village Raikala, he along with his wife Priyanka Marndi were welcomed by the villagers as well as other family members. Majhi relished his favourite food item ‘Pakhala’ with his family members.
“I received blessings from this soil and became the CM. After taking oath as the CM on June 12, I wanted to visit my place,” he said.
On Sunday, while addressing a felicitation meeting in Keonjhar district, Majhi had alleged that a ministerial berth and a mining lease was offered to him if he remained mum on the mining scam. “Money amounting to thousands of crores has been looted from Keonjhar. In this loot, not only the previous government but also the district administration here was involved. Mohan Majhi is not ‘bikau’ (venal); he is ‘tikau’ (durable). He has the capacity of not just becoming a minister but also leading the state,” he said.
However, BJD said the chief minister’s statement was unfortunate. “The chief minister should have known this that he is no longer in the Opposition party. He is now the chief minister of Odisha. Before giving any statement, he should at least think that it is his duty to keep the prestige of his position intact,” said BJD leader Pratap Deb.
“The way he is giving his statements is not acceptable at all. If he is saying that he was offered inducements when he was in the Opposition, why he didn’t speak about that before the media? Had he wished, he could have registered a case. He could have given a statement before the media. He should ask himself how speaking such things suits him today when he is the chief minister,” he added.
