Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28: The state BJP today threatened to tear down pictures of chief minister Naveen Patnaik on posters advertising state and Centre-sponsored schemes if the BJD government stopped Indian Oil campaign vehicles ahead of the Prime Minister's visit.

Prime Minster Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the state on February 7 to inaugurate the Paradip oil refinery on February 7.

Yesterday, the Jagatsinghpur district administration had detained Indian Oil campaign vehicles bearing pictures of Modi and Union minister of state for petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan for alleged violation of Supreme Court guidelines.

The BJP, which had distanced itself from the controversy yesterday, today made a U-turn and said it would counter the attack politically. The BJD had taken exception to the campaign vehicles fitted with the LCD as it continues to propagate the success stories of the NDA government.

The BJD leaders were visibly upset because the audio-video clips used in Indian Oil's publicity vans were not only advertising central schemes, but also criticising the state government on issue of the Centre's neglect of Odisha.

While the BJP decided to take on the BJD government, a party delegation led by senior minister Damodar Rout today visited Paradip town and reviewed the preparation for the Prime Minister's visit to dedicate the 15-million-tonne refinery to the nation on February 7. Rout was accompanied by the two other ministers - Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Pranab Prakash Das.

"The BJP should not try to make it a party function. They should remember that Narendra Modi is coming here as the Prime Minister of India. Here, the chief minister plays the role of the host and the Prime Minister is the guest. This is a national project and no attempt should be made by the state BJP to take credit for it," Rout told reporters.

Rout also made it clear it was the state government that had provided the land and required infrastructure for the project. "As this is a national project, we have deferred the collection of VAT for nearly 11 years," he said.

State BJP vice-president Pruthvi Raj Harichandan said: "The seizure of campaign vehicles reflects intolerance of the BJD government. When they had hijacked the various central-sponsored programmes, we tolerated it. They have even put the chief minister's pictures on posters advertising central projects. The state government should remove all these pictures."

Harichandan dismissed the allegation that campaign vehicles were violating the Supreme Court guidelines on the use of the photos of ministers and other political leaders in public advertisements. "This not an advertisement, but an invitation to the public," said Harichandan.

On being asked how the videos being played by campaign vehicles were commenting on BJD's stand on the issue of Centre's alleged neglect of Odisha, Harichandan said: "Let me check the video."

Speaking on the excise minister's statement that BJP should not try to convert the Prime Minister's programme into a party event, Harichandan said: "If he (Rout) thinks it is a BJP meeting, he should not come to the programme."