File Picture Courtesy : The Indian Express
Throwing a challenge to current Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah has said that the party’s win in Odisha would outshine that of Tripura. “The verdict in Odisha is going to be bigger than Tripura,” said Shah addressing a ‘Mahasamavesh’ in Bolangir.
Odisha will witness general and Assembly polls in 2019. “I had not spoken about Mission 120 and Naveen babu planted news in media as to why I was silent. But I had not spoken about it because I am sure we will win more seats here, much bigger than the mandate we got in Tripura recently,” said Shah.
The BJP president attacked the chief minister saying “Naveen Patnaik is scared, not me. He is scared because the youth have come with us.” Shah also accused Patnaik of “shielding criminals”, who, he said, were attacking the BJP workers.
“The ruling BJD is resorting to political violence and over 14 of our activists have been murdered in the last one and half years and their killers are moving scot-free as Naveen Patnaik is shielding them,” said the BJP President.
Maintaining that BJP doesn’t believe in violence, he said once BJP comes to power, they will ensure that the killers are put behind bars.
He also criticised the ruling BJD for not working for the welfare of the people of Odisha.
“If a government, which has been ruling in the state for the last 18 years, cannot at least provide drinking water to the people of the state, then it has no right to stay in power,” Shah pointed out.
Earlier in the day, Shah had a meal at a Dalit’s residence in Bolangir’s Deogaon village. The BJP President was accompanied by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other leaders.
