A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “Soi hui sarkar” (Government in deep slumber) remarks against the former, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Patnaik and said he runs a fascist rule in the State.
“The Chief Minister blames others and sheds crocodile tears even after being in power for sixteen long years. Even after such long regime, he speaks one-sidedly and runs programmes through Central assistance. Hence, this is a bankrupt, unreliable and incompetent Government. A large number of posts of schoolteachers and doctors are lying vacant in the State. This is the achievement of his 16-year rule!” Pradhan remarked at a Press meet in New Delhi.
He said no electricity is available till now for 41 per cent of the BPl families in the State.
Targeting the CM for avoiding media and not going to public to share what he has done for them in last 16 years, Pradhan said, “He (the CM) usually addresses the Press near the Third Floor (the CM’s office) podium at the State Secretariat. Yesterday, he read out the answers in this auditorium and left the venue before taking a single question from reporters. It bears imprints of a Hitler’s rule where you only write and listen what he utters.”
Pradhan said he had requested the CM during Modi’s Baleswar rally to at least call a Press conference and answer the questions of Odia people through the media.
On the other hand, strongly countering Pradhan’s contentions, ruling BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb termed the former as “intellectually bankrupt” and an “escapist”.
“The statements the Union Minister prove that he is intellectually bankrupt. We had doubts earlier, but today he proved it. So far as bankruptcy of the State is concerned, would he read what an RBI report has to say about itIJ” said Deb.
He also described Pradhan an escapist who ran away to Delhi after losing polls in Odisha.
Deb said, “He should know that out of the total 6,42,000 villages in India, 6,22,000 had been electrified by the time the Modi Government’s Ujjwala scheme started. They shouldn’t try to take mileage by electrifying 18,000 villages in five years. The people of this country are no fools,” said Deb.
“So far as our housing scheme is concerned, he should check with the Union Rural Development Additional Secretary, who has appreciated our efforts and promised to reward it too. The Centre has been increasing cesses instead of taxes since past two years knowingly as the States do not get any benefit from cess hike whereas they have a share in tax. Further, they have been decreasing spending on agriculture, health, education and women empowerment in the three budgets they presented,” added Deb.