Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to become India’s first chief minister to meet the Pope, head of Catholic Christians around the world.
Patnaik is set to embark on a week-long foreign tour in the last week of this month. His first stop will be Dubai, where he is scheduled to attend an investors’ meet. From Dubai, he would proceed to Rome in Italy to meet some more potential investors.
Sources said efforts are being made to facilitate the chief minister’s meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican City during his visit to Italy.
This is Patnaik’s first international visit in the last 10 years and the second since he took over as the chief minister of the state. It is reliably learnt that the chief minister’s office has received all clearances from the central government for his foreign trip.
The Union government had last year denied permission to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to attend a World Peace Conference in Rome. The conference was to be attended by Pope Francis, among others.
The Centre’s denial of permission to Banerjee had led to a vitriolic attack on the government by the Trinamool Congress Party which accused the Centre of playing “vindictive politics”. Questioning the Centre, Banerjee said, “How many places will you (Centre) not let me visit? You can’t stop me forever.”
The government, while denying the permission, said that the "event is not commensurate in status for participation by the chief minister of a state".
Sources said that the Centre cleared Patnaik’s trip without much ado as the ruling National Democratic Alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP may need the support of Odisha chief minister’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the Presidential election scheduled for next month. It is learnt that BJD has a sizable presence in the Presidential electoral college.
Patnaik had to cut short his trip to London in 2012 as his trusted lieutenant Pyarimohan Mahapatra had tried to rally the support of BJD MLAs and overthrow the chief minister in his absence. Patnaik managed to put down the revolt. But he has not left the country since then.