'Patnaik Imposing Babushahi & Insulting Odiyas': Amit Shah Calls For BJP Govt In Odisha At Sambalpur Rally

Amit Shah referred to BJP's confidence about winning Lok Sabha election, saying that, after the fifth phase of the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had crossed 310 seats.

Speaking at a gathering in Sambalpur, Odisha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of imposing "highly bureaucratic governance" on the state. He accused Patnaik of "insulting the people of Odisha" and "choking the culture and the self-respect of Odiyas". 

"I have come here to tell Naveen (Patnaik) babu that you are imposing 'babushahi' on Odisha. You are insulting the people of Odisha. You are choking the culture and the self-respect of Odiyas," he said, adding that "only a leader from this land can effectively govern it".

“Tell me if any Tamil person can rule this glorious place?” said Shah. 

Hitting out at the Odisha government, Shah said, "The BJD government is destroying the culture and tradition of Shri Jagannath temple in the name of tourism. It wants to turn this Shri Kshetra into a commercial centre."

Shah also referred to the BJP's confidence about winning the Lok Sabha election. The Home Minister said that, after the conclusion of the fifth phase of the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had crossed 310 seats.

"This time, lotus (BJP symbol) will bloom in both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha. After 5 phases, Modi ji has crossed 310 seats. You have to make the lotus blossom here by getting more than 75 seats in the assembly elections," he said.

He further said, “This election was for 400 seats, it was meant to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third term. This election is to strengthen Odisha, and this general election is to elevate the literature, language, arts and culture."

PM Modi, he added, "has been proud of Odisha’s culture".

The Home Minister also said that PM Modi made Droupadi Murmu, the ‘Adivasi’ daughter of Odisha, the President of India. Odisha, he added, has a lot of "mineral wealth and hardworking youth but lacks a hard-working Chief Minister". "Odisha is a very beautiful place, it has a long coastline, a lot of mineral wealth, and hardworking youth but the only thing missing is a hard-working Chief Minister. Form the BJP government, we will give a hard-working young CM," the Home Minister said.

"Ironically, Odisha is amongst the most prosperous states of Bharat, and it's here only that those amongst the poorest reside! Naveen Babu is leaving no stone unturned to loot and destroy this mineral resource-rich Utkal Bhoomi," he added.