Odisha BJP Urges DGP to Free CM Patnaik from Pandian’s Influence

Bhubaneswar: In a move which is seen as a political gimmick, Odisha state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday urged the state Director General of Police (DGP) to “free” chief minister Naveen Patnaik from the “clutches” of V Karthikeyan Pandian, a Tamil Nadu-born bureaucrat-turned politician who is wielding high influence on the ruling “Biju Janata Dal” and the CM.

In a letter to the DGP Arun Sarangi, former BJP state president Samir Mohanty said the party believed that the CM has been held hostage by Pandian and demanded that he (CM) be freed from the latter’s clutches.

“You must be aware of a sensitive issue in Odisha. The chief minister of our state Naveen Patnaik has been held hostage by his former personal secretary V Karthikeyan Pandian for some days. It is evident from many incidents. It is evident from the videos posted on various social media platforms of the CM’s own party BJD that the CM of the state is being held hostage by Pandian and some other non-Odia officials. We doubt whether the chief secretary and you (DGP) are able to hold discussions with him as per the protocol,” the letter read.

“All the people of Odisha have the right to know about the CM. Hence, Odisha BJP is requesting that you in the presence of a justice and some other reputed personalities make the Chief Minister free from the clutches of V Karthikeyan Pandian and hold an interaction with the media in the State. We are expecting that for the larger interest of the state, you will give emphasis to such a sensitive issue and take proper steps in this direction at the earliest,” it further read.

Meanwhile, the Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, while speaking to news agency ANI, said that he was fit and he has been campaigning for the elections across the state over the last one month.

"There is a limit to lies. The BJP has crossed all the limits of telling lies. I am fully fit and I have been campaigning across the state for around one month," said Patnaik.

The 77-year-old CM’s reaction on his health came after the BJP leaders indirectly targeted him saying that Odisha needs a “young” and “healthy” chief minister who has understanding of Odia language, culture and heritage.