Dama not CM to start open talk with me: Srikant

--Srikant rubbishes BYJD’s allegation of cheating Biju babu

BHUBANESWAR: “If BJD vice-president Damodar Rout wants to come to an open platform to discuss with me on the central assistance given to the state, first he would have to be the Chief Minister as I had sent my open letter not to him but to Naveen Patnaik,” said Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Srikant Jena to the media people at the 24th State Convention of the Odisha unit of Indian Trade Union Congress here on Sunday.

Ignoring other party leaders of the BJD, Jena said, excluding Naveen Patnaik there are no other leaders in the party. After Damodar Rout’s challenge to Minister Jena for the public debate, Jena said, “Let the party give him a chance to become the Chief Minister for one day or two days for the public debate and open talk with me.”

On presidential poll and his involvement in the office-of-profit row, he reiterated the argument that the BJD is doing nasty politics by polluting the dignity of a post like President of the country. Jena also criticised the Government’s attitude towards solving the tribal issues in past 12 years. Prior to this, Jena in his letter has mentioned about the Kalinga Nagar police firing and Maikanch firing case where total 15 tribals were killed.

After BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab and Biju Yuva Janata Dal’s allegation against Jena for cheating Biju Patnaik in 1996, when support for Biju Patnaik was gradually coming to become the Prime Minister of the country that time, Jena said the allegation against him was totally false. In 1996, they had three MPs in the centre from Odisha, he said. “How can a person become the Prime Minister with three MPs in his party, if BJD is right, why Naveen could not be the Prime Minister with the support of 18 MPs in the centre,” he questioned.

Minister Jena said the court had filed a charge sheet against the then MP Biju Patnaik and the United Front was completely against the candidates with the charge sheets against them. For this reason only Biju babu could not be the Prime Minister then, he revealed. “Who charged Biju babu on the corruption front? I was not responsible for that. If the then Government and the court was responsible, how I’m to be blamed for that,” he added.

On continuous allegations of Central neglect of the State, Jena said the State got more than it claimed from the Centre. It is being misappropriated at each and every level of the State administration, he added. “What Naveen had done for the State when he was the Central Minister in the Centre? The UPA Government has sanctioned 4,000 crore for rural electrification in the State under RGGVY programme, three medical colleges, Central University, NISER, more allocation for State plan and programmes,” Jena maintained.

Jena also said the issue of Centre’s neglect is raised by the BJD and he answered their questions along with giving a call for a public debate with the Chief Minister. If they want to escape from that what will I do,” he ended.