The Odisha BJP trained its guns on V.K. Pandian, a close aide of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, as it launched a blistering attack on the Biju Janata Dal government by unveiling a catalogue of the administration’s ‘misrule and misdeed’.
The BJP on Wednesday released an Odia booklet, titled (pachis barsha ra papa pedi) ‘25 years’ box of sins’ levelling charges of corruption, misgovernance, anti-farmer policies, atrocities against women, distress migration, rising unemployment, protection of criminals and anti-tribal deeds against the ruling party.
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Addressing a press meet marking the release of booklet, veteran BJP leader and Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, said the lists of accusations were not product of any imagination, but based on facts retrieved from government statistics.
“The basic tenet of governance such as Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and now Sabka Prayas [together, for everyone’s growth, with everyone’s trust and everyone’s endeavour] has been derailed in Odisha. We will take the chargesheet to everyone in villages,” said Mr. Yadav.
Concentration of power
“In Odisha, the democratic structure appears to have crumbled entirely. Power seems concentrated in the hands of a select group of bureaucrats, rendering MLAs and Ministers powerless. One doesn’t necessarily need criminals to instil fear; bureaucrats alone seem capable of achieving this,” said Odisha BJP chief Manmohan Samal.
The saffron party has devised a carefully crafted strategy, portraying Mr. Pandian as the face of corruption and mismanagement. In a 60-page booklet, Mr. Pandian’s presence spans 15 separate pages, each depicting different facial expressions, while the image of the Odisha Chief Minister appears only on 10 pages.
The booklet says, “The highly publicised 5T transformation is alleged to be a conspiracy by a specific non-Odia bureaucrat to consolidate all authority into his own hands. The entire administration is purportedly being manipulated to promote the agenda of this individual. Implementation of all projects is purportedly being handed over to non-Odia contractors and companies.”
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“In the name of transformation, the BJD is involved in a scam amounting to ₹3,400 crore, masquerading old school structures with a fresh coat of paint. This deceit has led to the utter breakdown of the education system. It is a calculated plot aimed at sabotaging the prospects of Odia students, instilling fear that an educated Odia might challenge the non-Odia rule in the State,” it adds.
The booklet alleges, “V.K. Pandian, a non-Odia leader within the BJD, has compromised the sanctity of the revered Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri by allowing a beef-eating social influencer entry. With no understanding of Odia traditions, this non-Odia leader holds sway in the government. This is an insult to the 4.5 crore Odias perpetrated by the BJD. How long will the proud Odia community endure such disregard for its religious sentiments?”
