Bhubaneswar: The Odisha BJP has responded to former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik regarding his comments on the communal situation in Bhadrak, where an Islamist mob attacked the police and administration following an objectionable social media post. The BJP expressed surprise that Patnaik is attempting to incite unrest in the state to bolster the morale of BJD workers after their defeat.
On Monday, at the party office Shankh Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, BJD chief and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik addressed party office bearers from Bhadrak and Sonpur districts. He stated that the image of the state has been damaged by communal tension four times within just three months of the BJP government’s rule.
“Since the BJP came to power, we have seen communal tension erupt in various parts of the state—first in Balasore, followed by Khurda, Dhamnagar, and Bhadrak. This ongoing unrest has raised questions about the efficiency of the BJP government and has tarnished the state’s reputation,” said Naveen Patnaik.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state spokesman Anil Biswal has strongly criticized Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for recent remarks. In response to Patnaik, Biswal suggested that the statements were likely aimed at boosting the morale of BJD workers, but he expressed surprise at Patnaik’s apparent willingness to lower himself to such tactics.
Biswal pointed out that Patnaik served as Chief Minister of Odisha for 24 consecutive years and should address several pressing questions. He asked, “Who was Chief Minister during the Kandhamal riots? Who held that position during the 2017 riots in Bhadrak during Ram Navami? Which party was in power during the stone pelting and riots in Sambalpur in 2021 during Hanuman Jayanti?”He concluded, “Naveen Babu, who fostered unrest in Odisha for 24 years, is now making communal statements for the sake of his party’s interests.”
Anil Biswal further alleged that photographs exist showing those arrested in the Bhadrak communal clashes alongside BJD MLAs. He asserted that the accused are active, frontline members of the BJD.
Biswal claimed that Naveen Patnaik personally granted a Rajya Sabha ticket to the main conspirator of the Kandhamal riots, subsequently making him an MP.
“In 2017, the National Crime Records Bureau ranked Odisha third in the country for communal violence. By 2022, the Bureau’s data revealed that the state experienced over 15 police riots within a single year.,” stated Biswal.
“Is this a reflection of Naveen Babu’s good governance? Why has Naveen Babu remained silent when a former BJD MLA in Odisha provided protection to Raja Khan, a gangster implicated in a communal riot in Uttar Pradesh?” Biswal questioned.
