Naveen avoids public debate, Cong leaders protest

Unable to get a response from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to their invitation for a public debate on burning issues, senior state Congress leaders today sat on protest near the Raj Bhavan here.
PCC president Jaydev Jena, Union Minister Srikant Jena and other leaders vented their anger by sitting near the statue of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, considered as the pride of Odisha.
"We waited from 10 AM till 6 PM for a reply from the Chief Minister on our suggestion made four days ago for a public debate with him. As there was no response from the other side, we went to Madhu Babu's statue and sat near it protesting the CM's attitude towards the opposition," the PCC chief said.

On March 6, the state's main opposition party had challenged the ruling BJD supremo to a public debate on a host of issues like how the state topped the list in terms of poverty and migration during his 14-year rule.
The party had given three days' time to Patnaik to come forward with time and venue suitable for the proposed debate.
They had also asked the BJD chief to release a white paper on his government's performance in accelerating development and tackling various other problems.

"Patnaik has failed to respond to our challenge. We are surprised as to why the Chief Minister is so scared of joining a debate," Jena said describing debate as an essence of democracy.

OPCC had invited Patnaik to a public debate a day after the Chief Minister accused the UPA government at the Centre of neglecting the state.
Hitting out at Patnaik for the accusation, Jena said the Chief Minister, who claims about speedy development in the state, must answer as to how the Raghuram Rajan Committee report had put Odisha as the least developed state.
"Despite tall claims by the Chief Minister, in terms of development, Odisha is placed at the bottom in all sectors," he said.