'Pandian Has Captured CM Patnaik': Himanta Sarma Calls For Intervention By High Court Judge

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that BJD leader VK Pandian has 'captured' Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday trained guns on 5T chairman and Biju Janata Dal leader, VK Pandian saying that the latter has "captured" Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. The Assam CM also called for an intervention by a judge of the High Court to talk to Patnaik and enquire "if he is happy". 

"This election is the election of pride of Odisha. The CM of Odisha can't meet someone alone, and can't even talk to anyone as Pandian is always there with him," Himanta said while speaking to reporters in Odisha's Sambalpur.

"I am also a Chief Minister of a state, but I have come alone. I can speak alone, I can meet people, and people can meet me just like you all (media persons) are meeting me now. But the Chief Minister of Odisha cannot meet anyone alone, he cannot speak to people alone, and VK Pandian is always with him," he said.

"We need to know if Naveen Babu himself wants Pandian to be with him or if Pandian has played some game due to which Naveen Babu is unable to get out of that grip," he added.

Himanta suggested that a High Court judge "needs to talk to Naveen Babu if he is happy or not." "If a CM is in a hostage situation, it's not good for the country... I think Pandian has captured Naveen Babu," he remarked. 

"Once, a High Court judge should speak to Naveen Babu alone for 10 minutes. I have spoken to many friends in the BJD, and in the last 10 years, no one has met Naveen Babu alone. Whenever they meet, Pandian is with him, and Naveen Babu only says 'ok ok,' nothing more," Sarma claimed.

Later in the day, Pandian reacted to Union ministers and BJP leaders coming to the state for campaigning saying, "They don't have a state-level leader who can travel to places and make an impact. They are short of leaders, so they are getting them from outside..."

He cautioned that a line should be maitained in the political discourse. 

"In case you breach that line, especially with regard to a very popular Chief Minister of the country - after 24 years Naveen Babu remains the most popular CM in the country - he lives in the hearts of people. If you hit him, if you hurt him by your statements, it's going to hurt your political prospects," Pandian said.