Bargarh: Top Saffron Veteran and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lashed out at ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during his election rally in Western Odisha.
The Prime Minister, who was on a two-day trip to Odisha since yesterday evening, addressed large gathering rallies at Phulbani, Bolangir and Bargarh today.
Though he made some critical statements against Congress, the PM also strongly criticized the Chief Minister.
Shri Modi challenged Shri Patnaik to name 30 districts of Odisha and its headquarters without seeing any paper at his first rally at Phulbani.
At Bolangir, he said Shri Patnaik will not be able to tell names of 10 villages of Kantabanji assembly constituency, where he is going to contest in addition to his traditional Hinjili seat.
Seven decades ago, rules were made for Shree Jagannath Temple. As per the norms, a record should be maintained about the ornaments and valuables stored inside the Ratna Bhandar of the temple. The last inventory of the valuables was made nearly 40 years ago. At that time, the estimators were not able to estimate the value of the Ratna and ornaments stored there, he said.
“Without Lord Jagnnath, we are nothing. But we don’t know how much ornaments and valuables our lord owns because the key to the inner chambers of Ratna Bhandar has been missing for the last six years. You cannot even keep the key and lose it, which hurts me and the people of the entire country,” he said, lambasting the BJD Government.
“Everyone wants to know what happened to the keys? Every Odia, Jagannath lover wants to know about the keys. Who has taken the keys…..whether he used to open and close the Bhandar?, asked the PM.
When questions were raised, the BJD government said that they got the duplicate keys. Why were duplicate keys made? Is someone opening the Ratna Bhandar during night time with the duplicate keys? Has someone stolen the valuables of Lord Jagannath?, he further asked.
The PM further said that the state government had constituted a Judicial commission to probe into the incident but the government is yet to make it public.
BJP is raising this issue as the BJD Government is trying to move away from this issue. What is its weakness and to whom the government wants to protect?
A generation becomes young in 25 years and it starts a new life. But, the BJD Government has failed to bring Odisha out of poverty. The people have anger towards BJD leaders and ask how many more days Odisha will tolerate them.
The BJD Government has become incapable and it is totally “outsourced”. One person has become Super CM above the MLAs and Chief Minister who were elected through a democratic process, he alleged.
Bargarh, the rice bowl of Odisha, has become empty and all the benefits go to the treasury of BJD leaders. The law-and-order situation is in a deplorable state in Odisha. A cabinet rank Minister was killed in broad daylight while liquor traders and drug mafias have destroyed the lives of youths, he added.
Starting the countdown for the exit of the BJD Government in Odisha, the Prime Minister sought votes for both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha to install a double engine government in the State.