Naveen Has Lost The Right To Rule: Shah

Puri: BJP National President Amit Shah continued from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had left in the tirade against Naveen Patnaik government while addressing a gathering during the BJP Mahila Morcha National Executive meet at Puri on Monday.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched a sharp attack on the Odisha government accusing it of being indifferent towards implementing various development projects. Shah took the criticism further and said, “The manner in which the state government has functioned in the last three terms, it had lost all rights to rule the state.”

Expressing confidence about BJP coming to power in Odisha in 2019, the BJP president said that the huge gathering at the meeting is an clear indication of the failure of the Odisha government. This was in line with Modi’s speech at Jharsuguda, where he had remarked the same about mammoth crowd representing the sentiments of the people.

Seeking the support of people in the upcoming general elections, Shah said a BJP government in Odisha can transform the state into the number one state within five years.

“With the blessings of mothers and sisters of Odisha, the BJP will form government in the state after 2019 elections,” he said.

He decried growing poverty in Odisha despite the state being rich in mines and blamed the present government for the sorry state of affairs.

While the Prime Minister had fired graft salvo at the Naveen government, stating that corruption and delay in taking decisions had become synonymous with it, Shah directed his attack at the alleged babudom prevalent in the state.

“Collectors , IAS and IPS officers are kings here. They are ruling the state. This will be change soon with BJP coming to power in 2019,” he said.

The BJP president also accused the officers of pocketing chunk of central funds. “In the last four years of BJP government at the Centre, the state has got 4,45,865 crore. This money, however, has not reached the poor, farmers, women, Dalit and Adivasi people,” he added.

Stating that the BJP government has brought 129 welfare schemes till now, he accused the government of trying to stop the benefits from reaching the people in the state. With regards to Ayushman Bharat Yojana, he said the state government didn’t allow implementation of central scheme fearing that it might result in increase of popularity of the Prime Minister in the state.

Shah also blamed the Odisha government for the death of 14 BJP workers in the last three years and said that this will not stop the party from reaching out to the people of the state.

“Narendra Modi government is working for ‘Make in India’ whereas Congress and all oppositions are working for ‘breaking India’,” he said.

The BJP president said instead of topping the list in the field of development, Odisha has earned a dubious distinction among states in crime against women. “It ranks four in dowry torture cases, five in gang rape and six in acid attack. The ideals of Biju Babu has been put on the backburner,” he said.