‘No use remembering Odisha during elections..’: Naveen Patnaik, attacks Modi on language, culture and election promises
Naveen Patnaik has taken a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in the state. Earlier this week, Modi challenged Patnaik to name the districts of Odisha. Speaking at a rally on May 12, the BJD leader, in response, accused the prime minister of remembering the state only during elections, failing to deliver previous electoral promises, and neglecting the Odia language.
In a video message, Patnaik said Modi is remembering the state only at election time, "which will be of no use", ANI reported. In a verbal exchange after the PM's salvo, Patnaik asked Modi about "unfulfilled promises" from the 2014 and 2019 general elections. He pointed to the lack of increase in royalty for coal, unmet commitments to double the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers, and the construction of a coastal highway, among other issues.
"Do you remember the promises he made in the 2014 and 2019 elections? Odisha's natural wealth is coal, and you take coal from Odisha, but you have forgotten to increase the royalty in the last 10 years. The Prime Minister is remembering Odisha only at election time, which will be of no use. Do you remember the promises you made in 2014 and 2019?" he said.
"You should have kept the people of Odisha in mind and built the coastal highway, which you have also forgotten. People of Odisha remember your promise to reduce prices of essential commodities, to create two crore jobs, to reduce prices of LPG, petrol, and diesel, to provide mobile connectivity to all and to reduce GST. The people of Odisha have not forgotten any of these," Patnaik added.
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