Politics should not be done on sensitive crime issues: Odisha CM Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday slammed the opposition parties, saying that politics should not be done on sensitive crime and development issues, which can have a negative impact on the state's image.

Patnaik, while responding to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's address in the State Legislative Assembly said, "People won't forgive those who defame their own state for narrow political interests."

"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 the development of the state," Odisha Chief Minister said.

Hitting out at the state BJP for "stalling justice in the PARI rape and murder case," Odisha CM said that people in the state knew which parties were trying to derail the judicial process.

Odisha's Nayagarh Children's Court on Tuesday sentenced the accused in the sensational Pari rape and murder case to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

"People of Odisha knew very well all those who were trying to get bail for the accused and all those who tried to derail the judicial process. Now that the accused is convicted, where will the Opposition go especially the State BJP who tried to politicise this issue at the cost of stalling justice to 'PARI," CM Patnaik said.

Highlighting the achievements of his government, Odisha CM said that the crime against women has come down by twenty per cent and the conviction rate has almost doubled. "Recently we all have seen how Odisha is the number one revenue surplus state in the country," he said.

Recalling the efforts made by his government during the Covid-19 pandemic, CM Patnaik said that oxygen produced in Odisha saved thousands of lives throughout the country.

"From testing to treatment, everything was provided free of cost to the people of Odisha and we were perhaps one of the few states who have done it. The oxygen produced in Odisha was helping save thousands of lives throughout the country. Oxygen was supplied to more than 17 states in the country. It's a heartening moment for the people of Odisha that our state played a major positive role in saving people's lives across the country," he added.