Bhubaneswar: Dana Majhi carrying his wife’s body on his shoulders is the “real image” of the Odisha government and the ruling party, BJP said today.
Over the Chief Minister’s allegation of opposition parties trying to malign the image of BJD, Odisha BJP chief Basant Panda said, “The real image of the Naveen Patnaik’s government is the picture of Kalahandi tribal Dana Majhi carrying his wife’s body on his shoulders after being denied a hearse by a government hospital.”
Addressing a function to mark the 19th foundation day of BJD, Patnaik had said, “There is an attempt to malign the image of BJD by a section of opposition parties. These parties have launched a misinformation campaign against BJD. But, they have been rejected by the people of Odisha.”
Patnaik had said BJP survives on “publicity”, while Congress leaders quarrelled among themselves.
Taking exception to the remarks, Panda said, “Where is the image of BJD government? Its image is Dana Majhi, death of over 100 children in Malkangiri due to lack of immunisation against Japanese Encephalitis, death of 21 children due to malnutrition at Nagada in Jajpur and killing of five innocent tribal, Dalits in police firing at Gumudumaha in Kandhamal.”
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said, “Which party is free from infighting? Patnaik’s party also sufferers from this menace.”
“Winning successive elections do not give a positive image to a party or its leader. These (successive victories) have made BJD a party of egoists. Good work for the people actually shapes the image of a party or a government, which is lacking in BJD,” Mishra alleged.
PTI