BHUBANESWAR: Even as the slugfest between the BJD and BJP over taking credit for the oil refinery at Paradip continued, unidentified persons tore more than 100 posters of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Capital City for the event turning the competition between the two political parties murkier.
Though the BJD did not name anybody in its two FIRs lodged in this regard, party spokesperson Sameer Das indirectly hit out at the BJP. Condemning those who were behind these things, Das said the police should nab the culprits soon.
“The posters of our party in connection with the event have been damaged from Vani Vihar square to Ram Mandir and in the Nandankanan stretch. Some posters near Kalpana square have also been torn. We have filed two separate FIRs in this matter,” Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said.
The BJP, however, washed its hands off the whole affair. Stating that the party has nothing to do with the inaugural ceremony which is an official event, State BJP president Basant Panda said since Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs to BJP, the party is preparing to give him a grand welcome. Former minister and BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said the BJD is happy that the Prime Minister is coming to Odisha to dedicate the oil refinery to the nation. He said the oil refinery will certainly boost the State’s industrial development. The former minister, however, said the State Government has also contributed for the establishment of the oil refinery.
Meanwhile, former Union minister Srikant Jena has demanded a high level probe into the huge money spent on banners and posters to give publicity to the event.