Neither BJD nor Congress can develop Odisha: Amit Shah in Cuttack

Taking on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Shah said, “All BJP karyakartas should go (to the public) with a pledge that next time there is a Vidhan Sabha election, Odiyas should get an Odiya-speaking CM,” he said.

The BJP chief also slammed the Odisha government for implementing its own health scheme, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, but staying out of the pan-India Ayushmaan Bharat programme. “Naveen Babu is not allowing many Central schemes to reach the grassroots…If a young Odiya man goes to Surat and falls ill, how will he pay for medicines? If Ayushmaan Bharat is implemented in Odisha, then its people can get treatment for free up to Rs 5 lakh anywhere in the country,” Shah said.

Taking on the Congress, Shah said, “BJP is the government for garib, adivasi and dalits. Four generations related to Rahul baba ruled this country for 55 years. Still the poor had no access to clean cooking gas. Narendra Modi and Dharmendra Pradhan came to power, after which the poor received cooking gas.”