Bhubaneswar: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma continued to target BJD leader V K Pandian even after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik clarified to the media about Pandian’s role.
In a post in his handle in X on Thursday, Biswa Sarma said though Naveen’s interview to ANI had raised more questions than answering their concerns. “I have watched Naveen Babu’s interview which was specifically intended to allay our concerns. Unfortunately, his well-rehearsed answers have ended up raising more questions,” he said.
On the allegation that Naveen was being held hostage by Pandian, Assam CM said, “Naveen Babu was unable to answer why was Pandian the only person to be seen with him; either holding his mike or controlling his hands.”
On Naveen’s assertion that Pandian was not his successor and the people of Odisha will decide who will succeed him, Biswa Sarma said, “Naveen Babu’s successor is immaterial as Pandian already has a firm back door entry in running Odisha. He has pervasive control over the Chief Minister and Nabin Niwas. Naveen Babu failed to assure the people of Odisha that this will change.”
Biswa Sarma also raised questions on Naveen’s health condition and lack of access to his ministers and senior bureaucrats. “Even after this interview, people of Odisha still do not know why ministers/bureaucrats have no direct access to the Chief Minister. Does the Chief Minister physically sign on any file or Pandian uses his digital signature. Where is the key to Mahaprabhu’s Ratna Bhandar? These are among the several questions that remain unanswered,” he said in the post.
