Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stepped up his attack on the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government and said that the time has come to think about who has ruined the state and shattered the dreams of millions of youths.
Unlike his last visits to Odisha, Modi this time spared chief minister Naveen Patnaik and targeted his close aide and chief strategist of BJD, V.K. Pandian.
Addressing rallies in Angul and Cuttack following his roadshow in Puri, Modi raked up the issue of chit fund scam that resulted in lakhs of people being duped.
Modi, who was here on a day when fifth phase polling took place in five Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 Assembly seats, said: “The BJD has given Odisha nothing but land mafias, sand mafias, coal mafias and mining mafias. The BJD’s MLAs and ministers are involved in the irregularities. How can the infrastructure be developed here.”
He further said: “There is a mafia in Odisha who has captured all sectors. Once the BJP forms the government here on June 10, it will break the backbone of that mafia.”
Stating that despite Odisha being rich in mineral resources there is so much poverty in the state, Modi said: “The BJD government is entirely responsible for this. Even small leaders of the BJD have now become millionaires. The CMO has been captured by a few corrupt people.”
To strike a chord with the Odias, Modi raised the issue of the missing key of the treasury trove (Ratna Bhandar) of Puri Shree Jagannath Temple. “The key has been missing for the last six years. They are not able to trace it. The judicial commission’s report has been suppressed. The BJD government and those who are around and capture the chief minister are to be blamed for this. The report will be made public once the BJP is voted to power.”
Taking a dig at Pandian, who hails from Tamil Nadu, Modi said: “People are saying that the keys have gone to Tamil Nadu. Who has taken it? The people will not forgive this. I assure you the mystery of “keys” will be resolved. Those involved in cheating and fraud will not be spared. This is Modi’s guarantee.”
Modi also exuded confidence that for the first-time the double engine government will come to the state and only a son or daughter of the soil will be the chief minister.
Inviting the people to come to the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP government on June 10, Modi said: “Some media are talking about a hung assembly in Odisha. But there will be no hung assembly in Odisha. There will be a BJP government with full majority in Odisha.”