Naveen Patnaik's tenure since 2000 has been Odisha's lost years: Amit Shah | Bhubaneswar News - Times of India

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BHUBANESWAR: Describing chief minister

Naveen Patnaik

's tenure since 2000 as the 'lost years', Union home minister

Amit Shah

on Thursday urged people to uproot the govt and help form

Odisha

's first BJP govt for a faster development and restoration of the state's language and cultural glory.

Addressing a rally in Sonepur, 275 km from Bhubaneswar, his first in Odisha prior to the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections, Shah said, "Some people are studying the development of all states in the country.

They had come to me. While asking about the country, I asked them what's the situation in Odisha. They said the 20-odd years of Naveen babu govt in the state's history are lost years for the state. Odisha remains at the same place where it was 20 years ago."

He said, "The govt here not only hindered the state's progress but also allowed corrupt officials to distance Odisha from its linguistic and cultural heritage while states with BJP-led govts were scaling new heights of development."

Shah's scathing remarks against Naveen marks a departure for the party's hierarchy and the first instance that a top central BJP leader has openly criticised the CM following the breakdown of alliance talks between the BJP and BJD, setting the stage for a high-voltage fight.

Exuding confidence that BJP will win at least 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats and significantly contribute to the party's '400 paar' dream, Shah said, "The party will also get a majority in Vidhan Sabha and form the govt on its own." BJP had carefully chosen Sonepur for Shah's first rally, which is part of Balangir Lok Sabha seat, but strategically located to mobilise people across western Odisha. Incidentally, Naveen will be contesting from Kantabanji, his second seat, which is also part of Balangir Lok Sabha segment.

The home minister accused Naveen of trying to divert people's attention from the opening of the Ram temple, for which the entire country feels proud, indirectly referring to the inauguration of the Shree Mandira Parikrama (heritage corridor) project during that time. Shah said the govt has lowered the dignity of the religious place to promote tourism and promised to re-develop Puri along the lines of Kashi Viswanath temple in Uttar Pradesh.

Shah alleged that the state govt tried to appropriate all central schemes by putting its own stickers on them and gave examples of how subsidised rice scheme and houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana given by the PM Modi govt were shown as state initiatives. The senior BJP leader criticised Naveen for not implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana fearing that the same will further popularise Modi. Shah wondered how people of Odisha were still migrating to other states for work despite it being rich in mineral and water resources. "A double-engine govt will ensure world-class industries, investments and irrigation for the entire farmland," he said and asked people to give BJP a chance to make Odisha India's number one state.

Responding to Shah's comment, Bhrugu Baxipatra, the BJD candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha seat, said the home minister tried to uplift the spirits of disheartened BJP workers who are anticipating defeat in the upcoming elections. Baxipatra, a recent defector from the BJP, claimed that Shah is well aware of the Odisha BJP leaders' persistent inability to gain the trust of the people due to their incompetence. "He came here to encourage them," Baxipatra responded in a statement.