BJD govt did not cooperate, 'chowkidar' transformed Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday slammed the Naveen Patnaik government of Odisha for "not cooperating" with the Centre for the speedy development of the state and said he used central schemes as a tool for the welfare of the Odiyas.

"The government in Odisha did not cooperate with us. Despite its indifference, we did our best in launching development projects in the state," Modi told an election rally in this backward Odisha town in Kalahandi district
"Tribals in the country have suffered under the Congress rule since Independence. The party took no concrete step to mitigate their plight. It was former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who formed a separate ministry to ensure their welfare and progress."
Recalling the episode of Dana Majhi, a tribal man from Kalahandi who made headlines in 2016 for walking over 12 km with his wife's body on shoulder after being denied a hearse, Modi asked, "Wasn't it the betrayal of a poor tribal by the BJD government?"