Turn Odisha into a BJP fortress: Amit Shah
Amit Shah
BHUBANESWAR: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday called on BJP workers to turn Odisha into a party fortress. “Our job is not complete in Odisha. The work started during my tenure (as party chief) is half done. We must complete it during the tenure of (JP) Nadda ji. We have to make Odisha a BJP fortress,” Shah said while addressing a virtual rally, Odisha Jan Samvad, telecast live over social media platforms.
“This eastern state is the centre of reforms in the country. It must be a developed state. Situation must change here so that no person from Odisha needs to migrate elsewhere to earn their livelihood. In future, no PM should be required to run Shramik Special trains to ferry stranded Odia people,” the home minister added, hinting at the large-scale migration that takes place every year and which came to the fore during the lockdown. More than 5 lakh Odia migrants have returned from various states, including around 3 lakh by Shramik Special trains.
Talking about the plight of migrant workers, Shah said, “We feel their pain. The PM feels their pain. But their safety was given priority over their temporary sufferings.”
Lauding the Centre’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis, Shah criticised the Congress for doing nothing for the country except giving interviews.
“Some people with a negative mindset, the opposition parties, raise questions. I want to tell them that in our fight we may have committed mistakes, there may have been gaps. But we were not found wanting in our intention and commitment,” Shah said.
Responding to Shah’s criticism, Odisha Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said instead of finding ways to deal with rising Covid cases, the Centre is busy doing election rallies. BJD leader Subhash Singh, meanwhile, declined to comment saying it was BJP’s internal matter.