Ahead of Modi visit, Odisha BJP to ‘chargesheet’ BJD over 36 corruption cases

Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the BJP’s chargesheet would list the cases of corruption of the BJD government in its last 18 years of rule, including the multi-crore mining and chit fund scams.

Ahead of Prime minister Narendra Modi's Odisha visit on May 26, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said it would bring out a chargesheet against the Naveen Patnaik government listing 36 instances of major corruption, including the multi-crore mining and chit fund scams.

Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the Odisha BJP will highlight 48 achievements of the BJP-led government at the Centre in its four years of rule. (PTI/File Photo)

Briefing reporters at the end of the two-day state executive meeting of the party, union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the chargesheet would list the cases of corruption of the BJD government in its last 18 years of rule.

“At the same time, we will highlight 48 achievements of the BJP-led government at the Centre in its four years of rule,” said Pradhan, lashing out at the Patnaik government over its failure on several fronts.

The ‘chargesheet‘ would be released in a couple of days, he said.

Modi will slated to visit Odisha on May 26 and attend a mega public rally at the Bali Jatra ground in Cuttack city. BJP’s state in-charge Arun Singh said the PM is visiting Odisha to highlight the Centre’s achievements in the last four years.

Pradhan said the BJP will launch a mega ‘Jan Sampark Abhiyan’ across Odisha during which its leaders would highlight the BJD misrule.

The union minister alleged that the Odisha government is trying to fool and mislead people by providing false data about infant mortality and dared Naveen Patnaik to prove that the data provided in an advertisement of the State Health department is correct.

“The CM must apologise to the people of Odisha for providing false data. I will apologise, if I am proved wrong,” he said.

Reacting to the BJP’s charges, BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said it was like the pot calling the kettle black. “In the last 4 years of BJP govt at the Centre, there have been several allegations against it, including the Nirav Modi scam. Besides, BJP was a partner of the BJD in 9 of the 18 years. They must be part of the corruption cases they are talking about. This is political foolishness,” said Acharya.