Senior BJP leader and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan Wednesday accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of "feeding the demon of corruption" and alleged the BJD government in the state was "neck deep in corruption".
Pradhan's statement came two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged during a public meeting in Odisha on December 24 that the "demon of corruption" is gaining strength in the state and had asked who has been feeding the "demons".
Pradhan alleged that Saroj Sahoo, a former employee at Patnaik's house, the Naveen Niwas, was a "small demon of corruption". "Let Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik clarify what relationship he has with Saroj Sahoo," Pradhan asked addressing a party meeting here.
Sahoo had been interrogated by the CBI in connection with the multi-crore rupees chit fund scam about three years ago.
Launching a frontal attack on the chief minister, Pradhan also accused Patnaik of misleading the people about centrally-sponsored schemes, ignoring farmers' plight and resorting to double-standards on women's issues.
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Rejecting Patnaik's allegations, levelled at the BJD's foundation day function in the morning, that the Centre was neglecting Odisha in all spheres, Pradhan claimed it was the state government which failed to utilise the central funds and provide land as promised for early completion of rail and road projects in the state.
Patnaik, he said, had no right to raise questions on the Centre's role in the development of national highways, rail infrastructure, coal mining and BSNL connectivity, when his administration itself had "failed" on all fronts.
On the CM's allegation that women are not being able to refill LPG cylinders due to its high price, the union petroleum minister said, "Let the CM find out a single household, including those in his Hinjali constituency, where refilling had not been done."
He said the state government has not allotted land in Sonepur, Kandhamal and Boudh districts despite promising to do so for completion of the Khurda-Balangir rail line project.
Union Minister Jual Oram, who was present, said that land for the coastal highway project was also not provided by the state.
Pradhan also accused Patnaik of maintaining a double standard on women's reservation.
"How many women are there in Naveen Patnaik's cabinet?" he said and accused the chief minister of "shedding crocodile tears" for rape victims in the state and children hit by malnutrition.
He launched 'BJP's Jabab Maguchhi Odisha (Odisha seeks explanation)' campaign and said it is aimed at encouraging voters to ask questions to the BJD government.
The BJD dismissed Pradhan's allegation as an effort to divert attention from the issues raised by the chief minister against the Centre.
"Mr Pradhan should not divert the issues and answer directly the questions on Centre's neglect like revision of coal royalty and in others where the Centre is not supporting Odisha and its people," BJD spokesman Sasmit Patra said.
He said, "It is unfortunate that while Mr Pradhan is the union minister for petroleum and natural gas, his own brother is running an LPG agency and had been booked for black marketing. To save himself, he had to approach the high court for bail.
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