BJP-BJD have secret pact in Odisha, alleges CPI

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 11:

Citing BJP national president Amit Shah’s refusal to speak against Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his BJD government during his recent visit here, the CPI today accused the two parties of having a secret understanding.

“Naveen Patnaik is aware that the BJP needs BJD’s support in the Rajya Sabha for passage of important bills. As part of their secret pact, BJP president Amit Shah chose not to speak against Naveen and his government during his recent visit to the state,” CPI’s state secretary Dibakar Naik told reporters here.

Naik alleged that as leaders of BJD and BJP were involved in land and chit fund scams in the state, they ensured that the matter was not discussed in the Assembly.

Besides, the Centre has decided against a CBI inquiry into the mining scam despite a strong recommendation by the Shah Commission due to alleged involvement of BJP leaders in it, he pointed out.

The CPI state secretary accused Naveen Patnaik and the BJD government in the state of being ‘autocratic’. He said Patnaik had little faith in democracy and it’s the bureaucracy which runs the state.

“The Naveen Patnaik government did not even felt the need to convene an all-party meeting before going ahead with the idea for proposed legislative council in the state. This shows his utter disregard’ for democracy,” Naik said.

The CPI state secretary questioned the move in a poor state like Odisha and called for a state-wide debate on it.

Criticizing the Centre for bringing the “anti-farmer” land acquisition ordinance, Naik said; “The Odisha government had already surrendered the state’s natural resources to multi-national companies. Now it is the turn of the NDA government to do the same.”

During his 15 years’ rule, Patnaik did not even take an all-party delegation to Delhi for putting pressure on the Central government for realization of the state’s legitimate grants from the Centre, the CPI leader said.

“Neither BJP nor Congress is telling the truth; they are only saying half-truths. The truth is that both the national parties were treating the people of Odisha for the past 15 years like pawns in a game of chess. Earlier, Congress was hand in glove with BJD and now with BJP,” Naik claimed.