Naveen hits out at BJP

Close on the heels of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of betrayal and breaking the coalition, the BJD has hit out at its former ally, terming the saffron party as a traitor and holding it responsible for snapping of the 11-year old alliance.

“We did not violate the coalition dharma, but the BJP had crossed the limit by accusing the coalition government several times especially in the aftermath of the Kandhamal riots and eventually breaking the 11-year-old alliance in just 11 minutes”, state chief minister and BJD supremo, Naveen Patnaik said here in a public meeting. On Monday, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj had accused Patnaik led BJD of violating the coalition dharma and snapping the alliance.

“We have not betrayed the BJP but it is the BJP which has betrayed our party by withdrawing support from the government and demanding imposition of President’s rule in the state”, Patnaik said.

“The BJP has a secret agenda to spread communalism in Orissa. Some of the BJP leaders have also made derogatory remarks against the state government, but we have tolerated these remarks patiently”, Patnaik alleged. He also lashed out at the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Centre accusing it of meting out a step motherly treatment to Orissa.

The Centre has neither hiked the mine royalty nor allotted more funds for the development of the railway network in the state, Patnaik said. Although the Congress had ruled Orissa for several years in the past, the state remained backward while the BJD had taken several welfare measures to position it as the number one state in the country, he added. The state chief minister is on a two-day whirl-wind tour to Ganjam district beginning Tuesday to address several public meetings. He was accompanied by the state energy minister SN Patro during the party’s election campaigning in the district.

On the first day of electioneering, Patnaik addressed meetings in Berhampur, Surada, Sanakhemundi and Gopalpur assembly constituencies.

On Wednesday he is scheduled to cover another three assembly constituencies of the district including Polasara, Khallikote and Kabisurayanagar.