Bhubaneswar: Launching a scathing attack on the BJD government, Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday questioned V K Pandian about the missing keys of Shree Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar.
“I want to ask Pandian… where have you kept the keys of Ratna Bhandar of Lord Jagannath. Don’t play with the emotions of the people of Odisha. Hand over the keys or you will have to spend the rest of your life under the curse of Lord Jagannath. You have the time till June 10… Once BJP forms the government in Odisha, we will trace it even from the hell,. Even the judicial inquiry report in this regard has not been made public,” he told a gathering at Kabisuryanagar in Ganjam, the home district of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
He further said that all the gates of the 12th-century shrine will be opened for the devotees for smooth darshan of the sibling deities after the BJP will form its government in the state on June 10.
“The BJD’s expiry date is nearing and the BJP within a month of forming a government in Odisha will buy paddy from farmers at Rs 3,100 per quintal as is the case in Chhattisgarh where the party is in power instead of Rs 2,100 with Pandian’s Katni-Chhatni,” the Assam CM asserted.
“Centre send rice for the people of Odisha but Pandian only gives you empty packets. If PM Modi is providing rice, the state government should have provided dal or at least salt with it. Even I have read from newspapers that those empty packets have been made in Tamil Nadu. We will not provide empty packets to our mothers, which is why the BJP has launched Subhadra Yojana under which every women of the state will get a voucher of Rs 50,000,” he added.
He further said that the state where BJP is power, Rs 1000-Rs 1,250 is being deposited in the bank accounts of women. “Does the Odisha government provides any such benefits to its women?” he asked.
Talking of lack of job opportunities in Odisha, he said that the CM has failed to find an Odia to even hold his mic. “The CM thinks only Pandian can do all work. It seems that no leaders in BJD have self-respect and dignity which is why they are running behind Pandian. I would like to request the people of Odisha to collect money for his plane ticket and send Pandian to Tamil Nadu on June 11. Take your 5’T’ to Tamil Nadu,” he said, while questioning why CM Naveen Patnaik’s constituency is still ‘underdeveloped’.
Himanta claimed that the BJP government will fill up the 1 lakh vacant government posts in a year. “We are also committed to give 3 lakh jobs to youths of the state in 5 years,” he said.
He also spoke about deteriorating law and order situation in Odisha and raised concern over safety of the women. “We have to save Odia asmita and press for Lotus to have a BJP government in Odisha. The state needs a strong and dynamic CM, who can propel Odisha to the number 1 position,” he added.
The BJD is yet to react to the Assam CM’s allegations.