Bhubaneswar: Naveen has outsourced his government says Narendra Modi

Bhubaneswar : Sharpening his attack on Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for ousting from power ‘’those responsible for keeping people poor despite the State having bountiful natural resources’’.

Addressing election rallies in Kandhamal, Bolangir and Bargarh Lok Sabha seats, Modi claimed that Odisha’s ‘asmita’ (pride) is in danger and the BJP will protect it, while asserting that a ‘’double-engine’’ government of the saffron party will be formed in the State and a ‘’son or daughter of the soil who understands Odia language and culture’’ will be made the chief minister.

‘’I am here to invite you to the swearing in ceremony of the BJP chief minister in Bhubaneswar on June 10. A son or daughter of the soil who understands the State’s culture, language and tradition will be made the CM,’’ he said, in an indirect reference to BJD leader V K Pandian’s assertion that he is the natural successor to all great values of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Further attacking Pandian, without taking his name, Modi alleged that Naveen has outsourced the Odisha government and the State is being run by outsiders. ‘’There is a super CM, who wields more power than the Chief Minister chosen by elected MLAs. Are sons and daughters of Odisha not capable of running the government? Are people born here not capable of ensuring development?’’ he questioned.

Referring to the sensitive issue of Lord Jagannath’s ‘Ratna Bhandar’ (temple treasury), he said the last inventory of the valuables was made 40 years ago and key of inner chambers has been missing for the last six years. The State government constituted a judicial commission to probe the incident of the missing key but the report was not made public, he said.

‘’I promise to the people of Odisha that the lost glory of ‘Ratna Bhandar’ will be restored once the BJP forms the government in the State. This is Modi’s guarantee,’’ he said.

The Prime Minister claimed that after President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a senior Congress leader held a press conference and sought purification of the temple.

‘’This is an insult to the President, tribals, women and the country as a whole. Congress has no right to remain in politics. All Congress candidates must lose their deposits,’’ he said. Modi asserted that on the other hand, the BJP made a tribal daughter of Odisha the President of India.

The Prime Minister came down heavily on the BJD government for not implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme, ‘’as a result of which people from Odisha working in other States were deprived of its benefits’’. Although the State has a huge tourism potential, the State government failed to promote it, he said.

Modi also said that BJD leaders are involved in the ‘’loot’’ of tribal lands, and promised that action will be taken against them if the BJP comes to power in the State.

Launching a scathing attack on Naveen, Modi alleged that the Chief Minister is unable to name all 30 districts of the State from memory. ‘’A Chief Minister, who is unable to name all the districts and headquarters, cannot understand the issues faced by the people. Can you leave the future of your children in the hands of such a person?’’ Modi said. ‘’Give me a chance for five years. I will make Odisha the number one State in the country, given its abundant natural resources,’’ he said. Modi claimed that the Congress will not win even 50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and will not be able to get the Opposition party status after the polls. ‘’Congress will not be able to get 10 per cent seats to become principal Opposition in the Lok Sabha. They will not win even 50 seats,’’ Modi claimed.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, without taking his name, the Prime Minister said, ‘’The Congress ‘shehzade’ has been reading out the same script since the 2014 polls... mark my words, NDA will break all records and will win over 400 seats this time.’’ The ‘shehzade’ tearing a document of Manmohan Singh Cabinet was an insult to the Constitution, Modi said, referring to the 2013 incident.