Nuapada: BJP stalwart and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai mounted a stinging attack on Odisha’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday, accusing him of failing to learn Odia language.
Addressing a public gathering as Panchampur during campaign for Nuapada Assembly by-election, Sai accused Naveen of not bothering to learn Odia despite remaining the Chief Minister for 24 years.
Seeking votes for BJP candidate Jay Dholakia at the ‘Vijay Sankalp Samavesh’, the BJP leader alleged that both Congress and BJD failed to bring development in Odisha despite being in power in the state for long years.
While Congress ruled the state for 50 years, BJD remained in power for 24 years, he said, adding that the performance of both the parties remained very poor in governance. “Now, people are witnessing how the BJP government works. Our party is the world’s largest political organisation,” the Chhattisgarh CM said.
Targeting dynastic politics, Sai said while both Congress and BJD have failed to rise above family dominance, BJP has always been free from such traditions.
Noting that he can fluently speak with people in Chhattisgarhi language, Sai lamented that former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik remained in power for 24 years but could not learn Odia.
“Mostly, the Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are held together in your state. I had the opportunity to campaign during the last General Elections,” Sai stated.
Refrring to MP Malvika Singh who was present on the stage, the BJP leader said she is from Himachal Pradesh and had got married in Odisha. “She learnt Odia to manage her family, but former Odisha Chief Minister could not learn Odia to manage the State despite remaining in office for 24 years,” he said.