Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Thursday mounted a sharp offensive against Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), accusing the Naveen Patnaik-led government of being neck-deep in corruption and urged people to throw such a government out of power.
“It is really unfortunate that there is corruption in Odisha which is not possible without the involvement of its leaders. Fake bills are created under MGNREGA. The Centre has provided money, but patients are suffering and pregnant women are giving birth to children on the roadside. Houses under PM Awaas Yojna are being labelled as Biju Pucca Ghar here. Despite being in power for over 20 years, the BJD has failed miserably as pregnant women are forced to deliver babies along the roadside due to the absence of basic amenities. What kind of governance is prevailing here,” Nadda asked.
The BJP chief was equally unsparing in his criticism of the Congress which he said, had been reduced to a ‘brother-sister’ party.
“We are now fighting with the family-based parties. Family members are running regional parties like National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, RJD in Bihar, Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, Biju Janata Dal in Odisha and TRS in Telangana,” Nadda told a meeting of BJP’s booth level workers in Bhubaneswar.
{{/usCountry}}“We are now fighting with the family-based parties. Family members are running regional parties like National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, RJD in Bihar, Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, Biju Janata Dal in Odisha and TRS in Telangana,” Nadda told a meeting of BJP’s booth level workers in Bhubaneswar.
{{/usCountry}}Nadda said the BJP remains the only national party in the country that is operating on its principles since the beginning. “We are the party with a strength of 18 crores. We have 302 MPs in Lok Sabha, 92 in Rajya Sabha, 1,394 MLAs, and around 120 Mayors. There is no party in the world with such strength. For us, it is always nation first, but keeping in mind the regional aspirations. BJP is a cadre-based party but at the same time, it is a mass-based party with a mass following,” said Nadda.
Back on the BJD, Nadda said one could easily imagine the kind of governance in Odisha from the fact that there have been murder allegations against three ministers of the ruling BJD. “The Odisha government is not implementing the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, thereby depriving around 60 lakh families in Odisha from the benefits of the scheme,” he said.
On Ratnabhandar issue of Jagannath temple, Nadda said even the treasure of the Lord is not safe here. “Some say that Ratnabhandar’s key is lost and others say the key is duplicate. What can people expect under such circumstances? It is time to show such people the door,” said Nadda, adding that the time has come for a “double engine” government in Odisha.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who addressed a meeting of leaders of BJD’s frontal organisations in Bhubaneswar advised his party leaders to “talk less”.
“Our party is with the people. It’s working for the people. We have to, therefore, focus on sensitizing people about the various welfare programmes of our government. Let our work speak for itself,” said Patnaik in a virtual address from Bengaluru, where he is meeting investors for Make in Odisha conclave to be held later this year.
Patnaik exhorted party workers to make the party’s outreach programme–the annual month-long ‘Jan Sampark Padyatra’ beginning from Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) a grand success.
“Even after all these years, the party has not deviated from its commitment. Therefore, we have a responsibility to carry forward this commitment and make the Jana Samperk Padayatra a success,” said BJD’s organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das. Party workers from all over the State including office-bearers of youth, students and women wings; all Ministers, MLAs; MPs and State office-bearers participated in the meeting.