KalingaTV News Network
Bhubaneswar: Reacting to BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik’s recent remark during a two-day workshop of the party claiming that the saffron party is trying to discredit his party, BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra claimed on Monday that the statement was made out of fear. Mohapatra claimed that the BJD is rattled by the growing strength of BJD at the grassroots level in the State.
Addressing a press conference at the party office here today, the BJP spokesperson insisted that the BJP is fighting for the rights of the people of Odisha whereas Naveen’s struggle is aimed at checking the BJP’s progress in the State. Taking a dig at the BJD supremo, Mohapatra said the real purpose behind the launch of ‘Ama Gaaon Ama Bikash’ program by Patnaik was to check the rise of the BJP at the village and booth level.
Citing the BJD supremo’s statement in the past that his party was number 1 and all other parties in the State were fighting for the second spot, Mohapatra said things have changed now. Following the saffron party’s success in the last panchayat election, Naveen himself had indirectly accepted the fact that only the BJP’s strength is multiplying in the State.
During the press conference, BJP leaders were of the opinion that Naveen’s recent activities like mingling with people, taking selfies and emphasising the use of social media had emerged out of his fear of the BJP. Moreover, the leaders accused the State Government of underutilising the Central funds provided to it by the Centre under various public welfare programs. They also raised the growing Percentage Commission (PC) culture in the State along with lack of employment opportunities for the youth and blamed BJD for it.
Mocking at the BJD’s allegation that the BJP was trying to discredit it, the leaders present at the press conference asked Naveen whether incidents like Dana Majhi, Nagada child deaths and death of Manasi, the face of malnutrition, water scarcity in villages during summer, chit fund scam, mining scam, cereal scam, sand scam and CM’s false affidavit on ‘dubious funding’ of BJD were true or not.
Among others, BJP State unit vice-president Sameer Mohanty, State secretary Kalindi Samal and Dillip Mallick were present at the press meet.
