The BJP on Sunday hit out at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for playing minority card to win the second phase elections.
“Taking assistance of a religious leader of a minority community for soliciting votes for the ruling BJD has exposed the secular image of the Chief Minister,” remarked BJP spokesperson Suresh Pujari at a media conference here.
The Modi wave and the high turnout of the voters in the first phase polls has unnerved the BJD president. Fearing that Modi wave will sweep away his party in this election, the BJD chief has started playing the minority card, he said.
Questioning the secular credeantial of the Chief Minister, Pujari sought to know why the BJD Government has failed to arrest the killers of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati after six years of the ghastly incident.
The killers of the Sadhu are still at large because the Chief Minister who is also in charge of the Home Department does not want their arrest as his Government will stand exposed.
President of Global Peace Initiative president KA Paul, a controversial person, on Saturday appealed to the people of the State to vote for BJD in order to make Naveen the Prime Minister of the country.
The BJP leader said Paul, who is facing criminal charges in Andhra Pradesh, has given Patnaik the certificate of a secular leader. Nothing could be more ridiculous than this, he said.
“A desperate Naveen is now playing minority card to woo the Christian community to save his party from poll debacle. However, the false secular face of Naveen Patnaik will be exposed once Kandhamal Commission report comes out,” said Pujari.
Claiming that the high turnout of voters in the first phase polls in the State has gone in the favour of their party, Pujari said BJP will win at least 6 of 10 Lok Sabha seats which went to polls on April 10.
As per the feedback of party leaders, the BJP is confident of winning Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Berhampur seats.
