Union minister dubs Odisha govt ‘arrogant’

BHUBANESWAR: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party BJP leader and union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday dubbed the Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) as “arrogant” and said it would be taught a lesion in the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Mr Pradhan, while addressing the party workers at a joining ceremony programme here at the BJP state headquarters, said the BJD government had become hugely unpopular for increase in crime against women and corruption. Leaders of the regional outfit are indulging in all sorts of nefarious activities and they have scant regard for the people’s feelings and annoyance, he added.

Accusing the Odisha government of covering up the murder of teacher Mamita Meher in Kalahandi district, Pradhan said, “Some senior officers of the Odisha government and ruling BJD politicians tortured the girl. Then they buried her body in the field. As if that was not enough, they got the accused murdered in the jail too."

He came down upon the CM Naveen Patnaik for his silence as his party men “increasingly indulged” in unlawful activities.

“The police were beaten up in the police station in Bargarh district’s Bhatli . Chief Minister, you are the home minister, but you do not have an answer to it. People in a republic will not tolerate arrogance. From Ravana to Kansa and Duryodhan, nobody could survive with arrogance and ego. Time will come when people will teach them a lesson,” he said.

Stating that Odisha was amongst the top three states in atrocities against women, Pradhan said, - crimes like murder and kidnapping hit the headlines in daily newspapers.

“Is this the transformation you are speaking about, Chief Minister?” Pradhan asked.

Reacting to Pradhan’s observation, BJD leader Mujibulla Khan said the BJP leader was targeting the purely to inspire his party workers ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections which are going to be held simultaneously this year.

“As our rival political party, BJP leaders, including Dharmendra Pradhan, will now criticize us. Let them do that. People of Odisha love Naveen Patnaik and they would once again elect him as the CM of the state,” said Khan.

Earlier last week, Pradhan had taken potshots at the Odisha government over the supply of free rice to the people in the state.

“While the Central government has been providing rice free of cost to the people, the state government is taking the credit for it,” he said while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra at Mahulapali in Sambalpur.

"The Odisha government is taking credit for it by hanging posters with the state government logo and some photographs of the leaders. Such posters are found at retail outlets. This is sheer cheating. Such deceit should not be done in a democratic system,” he alleged.

Pradhan, however, claimed that the people have understood such cheating and will increasingly repose their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.