Odisha CM slams BJP for politicising crimes, development

Amid a noisy walkout by BJP members from Odisha Assembly, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday came down heavily on the opposition party accusing them of politicising sensitive crime and development issues that affect the image of the state and its people.

Patnaik made these remarks while responding to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the governor’s address in the assembly, considered as the last session of his fifth term in office as chief minister.

“I have been a member for the last 24 years in this House, I have never seen this kind of politicisation of sensitive issues. People won’t forgive those who defame their own state for narrow political interests. People won’t forgive those who tried to stop Shree Mandir and Lingaraj projects. People won’t forgive those who block development of the state,” Odisha’s five time chief minister said.

Earlier, the House proceedings were stalled due to a din by the BJP members who raised the issue relating to break of tradition in Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri by offering ‘Bhog’ prepared from parboiled rice.

The BJP members led by opposition chief whip Mohan Charan Majhi walked out of the House by shouting “Jai Jagannath and Jay Sriram” slogans while Patnaik was making his statement in the House.

The BJP members later went to Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum drawing the governor’s attention to violation of tradition in the 12th century shrine.

Patnaik, however, targeted the BJP for politicising the rape and murder of a little girl in Nayagarh. A local court on Tuesday had convicted a juvenile with 20 years rigorous imprisonment while BJP supporters alleged that some BJD leaders were involved in the crime.

While listing out the successess during his fifth term in the office, Patnaik said, “When all these achievements were happening, I am sorry to say the opposition was busy politicising every crime and trying to defame the state and its people. Yesterday, a court in Nayagarh delivered the judgment in the tragic minor girl case. I would like to remind the members of the opposition about the kind of obstruction they did in this House and tried to politicise this sensitive case”.

Patnaik also cautioned the opposition, particularly the BJP, that people of Odisha knew very well all those who are trying to get bail for the accused and all those who tried to derail the judicial process in the minor girl rape case.

Now that the accused is convicted, where will the opposition, especially the state BJP who tried to politicise this issue at the cost of stalling justice to the little girl, go? Patnaik asked.

“We should always work together for a larger cause, for a ‘New and Empowered Odisha’,” the chief minister said.

With inputs from News18

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