BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday hit back at the BJP party for spreading lies about his health during a campaign for the ongoing elections.
Coming down heavily on the BJP, the CM said there is a limit to these lies that the party can spread about his health. "There is a limit to the amount of lies BJP can tell. As you can see I am in very good health and I have been campaigning all over the state for months," he told a news agency while campaigning in Mayurbhanj district.
BJD leader and party’s star campaigner VK Pandian also said such campaign by BJP leaders on the health of Patnaik is very unfortunate. “I only hope that BJP comes with innovative ideas instead of talking about something which is non-existent. You are all watching the Chief Minister. It is very unfortunate, below the belt,” he added.
Stating that people of Odisha will not appreciate this kind of demeaning of the CM who enjoys such popularity, Pandian suggested the BJP should come up with something innovative. Targeting Patnaik by talking about his health is so sub-standard, he added.
BJP’s campaign on the health condition of the Chief Minister had also come in for strong criticism from the party's organizational secretary Pranab Prakash Das on Thursday. The BJP is focusing about the CM's health as it does not have any other issue, he added.
Several BJP leaders including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and others had raised the issue of Patnaik’s health while campaigning for party candidates. Union Home Minister Amit Shah while addressing an election meeting on Tuesday had stated that the Odisha CM should take rest due to his advanced age and health issues.