The Utkal Sammilani has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for terming lord Jagannath as the lord of the poor and advised him not to utter “Jay Jagannath” further lest he should be reduced to a poor man.
“Along with others, the Utkal Sammillani had condemned the Prime Minister’s ‘Odisha poor’ remark earlier. He has repeated his remark by saying lord Jagannath as the lord of the poor. We advise him that who wears dresses worth lakhs of rupees should not to utter “Jay Jagannth” during his Odisha visits as he might be turned into a poor man,” argued Sammilani’s Mancheswar Industrial Estate branch president Dillip Dashsharam in a statement.
Analysing Modi’s statement, Dashsharma said, “lord Jagannath is with the poor as He knows that poor people have a heart and love others which the rich lack. Rich people recite “Jay Jagannath” only at the time of seeking support from the poor.”
Stating that “Modi is the PM of the rich”, Dashsharma gave an example and said, “Central Excise tax limit has been reduced from Rs 1 crore to Rs 20 lakh under the proposed GST. A small betel shop owner can transact Rs 20 lakh a year. Hence, all small businessmen will fail to compete with large industries and close down their units. Resultantly, the problem of unemployment will increase.”
He said the Prime Minister should desist from talking much and rather make plans to eradicate poverty.