BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly on Monday witnessed noisy scenes over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘poverty’ remark on Odisha with Opposition Congress questioning Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s silence on the issue.
The issue was raised by Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra during zero hour. “This House should condemn the PM’s remark. How could Modi, who is the PM for the last three years, not know about Odisha’s poverty even though BJP was the partner in the coalition Government with BJD in the State?” Mishra said.
Mishra criticised the CM for not reacting to the issue even though the ruling BJD members are creating ruckus in the House.
Blaming both the BJD and BJP for the prevailing poverty in Odisha, Mishra said the NDA Government led by BJP has discontinued several welfare schemes meant for poor people.
“What prompted you (the PM) to stop schemes like Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF), Integrated Action Plan (IAP) and others?” he asked.
Stating that Modi’s remark has severely hurt the people of the State, Mishra said the PM had no right to insult Odisha at a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh.
Congress chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati said many people from Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) region migrated elsewhere after the Centre stopped several welfare schemes. The NDA Government had also changed the fund sharing pattern between the Centre and State on different schemes, he said.
BJD members also joined the Opposition Congress MLAs and demanded unconditional apology from the PM for his remark on the State’s poverty. The BJD members shouted anti-Modi slogans prompting Speaker Niranjan Pujari to adjourn the House till 3 pm.
On the other hand, BJP member Pradip Purohit said outside the Assembly that the allegation made against the PM was politically motivated and lacked truth.
While referring to results of rural polls in Odisha at an election rally at Gonda in Uttar Pradesh last week, Prime Minister Modi had said, “In Odisha, where there is so much poverty, starvation and unemployment and where BJP had no foothold to place its flag, people have given so much support that everyone is taken aback. Even the poor of Odisha have come with the BJP.”