BJP has power to recall Odisha CM’s ‘powerful’ private secy to centre: Cong leader Narasingha Mishra

‘BJD is supporting BJP as it fears raids by the ED, IT and CBI’

By Our Correspondent

Bhubaneswar, July 19: Odisha’s senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD), terming them as two sides of a coin. 

Referring to the Odisha BJP leaders’ opposition to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s “powerful” private secretary VK Pandian’s “political” visits to different parts of the state as the representative of CM, Mishra said, “The BJP friends are shouting here against the secretary. They are asking why he is doing politics and visiting districts. But they have the power to recall him to the centre as was done in West Bengal. Instead of that, they have written a letter to the Chief Secretary. So without misleading the people, they should recall him to the centre.”

“The BJD has been claiming that it is neither with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nor with the Congress-led coalition. The BJD leaders contend that they are maintaining equal distance from the BJP and Congress. Yes, they are maintaining equal distance, but not in action but in words. They are very much with the BJP as is evident from their repeated support to the latter in the Parliament in passing bills. Besides the Opposition leaders, Puri Shankaracharya had once observed that there is no difference between the two parties. They are two sides of one coin,” Mishra said.

“Without being in the coalition, they relinquished a Rajya Sabha seat for the BJP which is rare in Indian history. They are supporting them (the BJP) in every bill tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, be it anti-farmer bill or anti-labourer bill,” Mishra said.

“It is said that they (BJD leaders) are supporting the BJP as they are apprehensive of raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Income Tax department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Here, such raids are not being seen. It implies two things. First, a clean government is ruling here. Second, things are being carried out in close association,” he said.

There was, however, no comments from BJP and BJD over Mishra’s allegations.