Dharmendra Pradhan joins Naveen Patnaik in propaganda war

BHUBANESWAR: Intensifying his attack on the State Government for its failure on all fronts, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said his party would launch a public movement for ouster of the ruling BJD.Responding to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s accusation of BJP launching a false propaganda against his Government, Pradhan said arrogance has crept into the ruling BJD as it is evident from Chief Minister’s intolerance towards criticism.

“It’s quite natural that a person becomes arrogant after remaining in power for a long time. Naveen Babu is no exception,” Pradhan told reporters on the sideline of the BJP’s State executive committee meeting.
In his counter to the Chief Minister’s accusation, the Union Minister sought to know whether raising issues like the bridge collapse incidents in Bargarh, Malkangiri, Bomikhal (Bhubaneswar) and other places are false propaganda?

Pradhan said the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its audit report has rapped the State Government for irregularities in management of Anganwadi centres and financial bungling in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Promoting institutional delivery in rural areas has become a farce after a number of incidents of pregnant women being carried on shoulder or cot or walking to reach hospital came to the fore. In some cases, pregnant women are reported to have delivered their babies under open sky as ambulances failed to reach them in time. Acknowledging that ‘PC’ culture is very much prevalent in the system, the Chief Minister had asked department authorities to stop the practice.

Collapse of seven bridges in different parts of the State proved that ‘PC’ culture is more prevalent in the Works department which is under the Chief Minister. If opposition rakes up these issues, he calls it false propaganda, Pradhan wondered.

“As Opposition, we have the responsibility to expose the misgovernance and shortcomings of the Government. Instead of facing the truth, the ruling BJD is trying to mislead the people,” he said.
Accusing the Chief Minister of shedding crocodile tears for the farmers, Pradhan dared the Government to write off agricultural loans as done by several States run by BJP governments and pay additional bonus to the farmers as given in Chhattisgarh.

On Monday, the Chief Minister had urged his party workers to strongly counter the false propaganda of the Opposition parties against the State Government.Defending the Chief Minister, Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout and BJD spokesperson Prashant Nanda said the BJP tasted its popularity after the ruling party snapped ties with it in 2009. Naveen Patnaik is in power for four consecutive terms as the people liked him, they said.

Time for self introspection: BJD to BJP

Bhubaneswar: Even as the BJP raised questions over the performance of Naveen Patnaik Government in the State, the BJD on Tuesday said the Government is accountable before the people of Odisha. Alleging that people’s discontentment is growing against the three-year-old BJP led NDA Government at the Centre because of its failure to keep poll promises, BJD secretary Bijay Nayak said the Naveen Government believes in work and not in empty propaganda. Stating that the popularity of party supremo and the State is growing because of its track record, Nayak said the BJP should introspect about its performance. Claiming that the BJD is with the people and will continue to be with them in future, Nayak said people of Odisha had rejected the BJP in the past and do so in future.