BHUBANESWAR: In a strong rebuttal to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s statement, BJP national vice-president and the saffron party’s candidate from Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat Baijayant Panda on Monday said he has joined politics not to accumulate assets, but to work for the people.
Addressing an election meeting at Patkura, Panda said, “My family is in business for the last several decades since Biju uncle’s times, but no one had brought such allegations. I have joined politics not to accumulate assets. Lord Jagannath has given us enough. I am here to work for the people.”
Panda, however, said he does not want to blame the CM because he is under the influence of ‘Tamil babu’ and he speaks whatever is prompted to him. “Rather, the CM should inspect the assets of the five Tamilians whom the Tamil babu has sold away the entire Odisha in the name of 5T and get the money from them and return it to the people of the state.”
The BJP leader asked why the electricity generated in Odisha is priced at higher rates as compared to what is being sold to Tamil Nadu. “Ask your five Tamilians when they will return the key of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar. After forming the government here on June 10, we will get the keys from Tamil Nadu by any means,” he added.