Bhubaneswar: Amid continued attack by opposition parties over 5T Secretary’s whirlwind tours across Odisha, senior BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi hit out at the ruling BJD accusing it of engaging government officials in party programmes.
Stepping up her attack on Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) , the firebrand BJP leader in a tweet claimed that a government official addressed a Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) meeting recently.
Similarly, master book keepers of Self Help Groups (SHG) are taking oath to follow the directives of MLAs, the Lok Sabha member claimed. She also shared a video and some photos to corroborate her claim.
“A Govt official in Odisha addressed Biju Juva Janata Dal Meeting recently. The video shows Master Book Keepers of SHGs-receiving remuneration from Govt-taking oath to OBEY THE DIRECTIONS of a BJD MLA. Governance in Odisha has become RIDICULOUS-it is a joke. We feel ashamed,” Aparajita tweeted.
A Govt official in Odisha addressed Biju Juva Janata Dal Meeting recently.
The video shows Master Book Keepers of SHGs-receiving remuneration from Govt-taking oath to OBEY THE DIRECTIONS of a BJD MLA.
Governance in Odisha has become RIDICULOUS-it is a joke.
We feel ashamed. pic.twitter.com/hfNn2CCUR2
— Aparajita Sarangi, Member of Parliament (@AprajitaSarangi) July 11, 2023
The Lok Sabha member’s stinging attack on BJD came a day after the saffron party staged a demonstration at Talcher against the visit of 5T Secretary to Angul district on Monday.
The brazeness with which government officials, like these women, are aligning with political party activities is a matter of concern for Odisha, the BJP leader said. “Hopefully, this will not be a model of governance in Odisha after the next election in 2024,” she added.
The parliamentarian’s fresh attack came after a video of community resource persons (CRP) working under Mission Shakti Mission, pledging to work for Cuttack Sadar MLA from BJD Chadra Sarathi Behera, went viral.
In the video. the women members at Khandeita panchayat under Cuttack Sadar block can be seen taking a pledge that they would adhere to the direction of the MLA and would create no obstruction in his work. They also pledged to work for him selflessly.
BJP lashed out at BJD after the video surfaced and saffron party leaders stated that the CRPs need to be told that they are being paid for working for the government and not the MLA.
Mission Shakti is a full-fledged department in the Naveen Patnaik government, and over 70 lakh women participate in economic activities via over six lakh SHGs. The Opposition has long been accusing BJD of using Mission Shakti women as a vote bank instead of empowering them. BJP has also cited several instances of the BJD engaging the members of women SHGs in party works like meetings, rallies and processions.
Hitting back at Aparajita, BJD spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra sought to know whether the BJP MP wants temples, places of worship, colleges and higher secondary schools to be transformed or not.
“If you really feel embarrassed give in writing to the government that you don’t want transformation of colleges and schools in your constituency. If you have guts, do it and tell people of Bhubaneswar parliament constituency that I have done this for your wellbeing. I am waiting for your reply. It’s an open challenge to you,” she tweeted.
Mishra also accused Aparajta of trying to stop the Puri Srimandir Parikrama Project as well as the Ekamra Kshetra Heritage development work.
