BHUBANESWAR : Former chief minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Saturday adopted a non-committal approach on ‘one nation, one poll’ proposal of the Centre and said details will have to studied before taking a stand on it.
In an interaction with editorial director of The New Indian Express Prabhu Chawla at the 12th edition of the Odisha Literary Festival (OLF) organised by this newspaper, Naveen said the party will wait for the details before taking a stand.
“Let the details come forth, we will study and take a stand.”
Asked how he rates the BJP government in the state and the Centre on their performance on completion of their first 100 days in office, the BJD boss quipped: “It is too early to start counting.”
“Elections to several states will be held in the near future. Let us wait for the results,” he added.
The BJD chief also lashed out at the BJP government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
“We can all see how the law and order situation in the state has declined with the incident of Governor’s son at Puri. Recently, an Army Major and his fiancée were harassed in a violent manner at a major police station in the capital city. This is not a good record,” he added.
Chawla thanked the former CM for supporting the OLF for the last 13 years since it was launched.
Celebrated Koshali poet and Padma Shri awardee Haladhar Nag inaugurated the OLF and said literature guides people on the path of truth, and true poets are Yugajanmas (born in ages) who take society on the right path.
“There may be different castes, but every human being is one,” Nag said.
“Divinity without the feminine form is incomplete in Hinduism. One cannot have Jagannath temple without the presence of Devi Subhadra and other goddesses,” mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik said at the fest.
