Guwahati, 18th May: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, during a public rally on May 18, sharply criticized the Odisha government, urging the people of Odisha to fund VK Pandian’s trip to Tamil Nadu amid the ongoing poll campaign, and calling for the protection of the state’s dignity.
In his address, Sarma condemned Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his alleged ego and poor governance, stating, “On June 10, we will form the government in Odisha and will also take the oath. We will all come to the ceremony. This is very sad that the government here in the state is not functioning properly. One person’s ego is destroying the state.”
Targeting former bureaucrat VK Pandian, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections on a BJD ticket, Sarma suggested, “I request the people of Odisha to collect some donations and buy a plane ticket to Tamil Nadu for Pandian ji. The state will be saved.”
Sarma also pledged that the BJP, if elected to power in Odisha, would ensure the recovery of the missing key to the Ratna Bhandar at Puri’s Jagannath temple. Addressing multiple election rallies in Brajarajnagar, Jharsuguda, Bonai, Sundargarh, Attabira, Bargarh, and Jatni, Khurda, Sarma expressed his concerns over the missing key and the lack of inventory of the temple’s valuables.
“Whenever I come to Odisha, I feel sad because someone has grabbed the key of Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath temple even though Odisha is a ‘Hindu state’. As per norms, an inventory of valuables in the Ratna Bhandar should be prepared every three years. But, forget about inventory, the key of the Ratna Bhandar is missing,” he stated.
Criticizing both Patnaik and Pandian, Sarma remarked, “While Naveen-babu is sitting idle, no one knows what Pandian is doing. I don’t know if Pandian is a Hindu. If he is a Hindu, he should find the Ratna Bhandar’s key.”
The comments underscore Sarma’s aggressive stance against the Odisha government and his call for change in the upcoming elections.
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