Bhubaneswar: Terming BJD`s `Swabhiman Samabesh` at Delhi tomorrow as an "amusement rally", opposition Congress and BJP on Tuesday alleged that the June 12 congregation aimed at deflecting public attention from the multi-crore chitfund scam in Odisha.
"This is BJD`s amusement rally where crores of rupees are being spent in name of demanding Special Category Status (SCS) for Odisha. As the state government is involved in chitfund scam, Naveen Babu tries to shift attention of people," Odisha PCC chief Jaydev Jena said.
Claiming that ruling BJD was never serious about SCS for Odisha, Jena said the chief minister and his party suddenly woke up from slumber after Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced plans to change criteria for according special category status to states.
"It was the Congress Legislature Party which had first brought a notice for passing a resolution supporting SCS for Odisha in Assembly," he said.
"Had Naveen been serious about the SCS, he could have done it during the previous NDA government of which he was a part. Even his father late Biju Patnaik could have done it," he said.
The Congress leader said, "It is like taking the entire party rank and file on an amusement trip to Delhi in the name of holding rally."
The chief minister could have waited till report of the sub-committee which had been studying the feasibility of states to get SCS tag, he said.
"BJD holds this rally at Delhi just to save its skin in the chitfund scam. I am sure people of Odisha will not forgive BJD for cheating lakhs of depositors," BJP state president KV Singhdeo said.
BJP was also critical of BJD`s Swabhiman Samabesh in Delhi. "We wonder as to whose swabhiman the rally seeks to project after Naveen Patnaik failed to learn Odia language in last 13 years," its spokesman Suresh Pujary said.
PTI
