PM Modi's poverty remark for Odisha agitates the people of the state

Bhubaneshwar: Raising the poverty issue of Odisha by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Gonda rally, has sparked controversy in the southern state.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress on Saturday reacted strongly to the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which hye had addressed Odisha as a poor and under-developed state of the country.

Describing the Prime Minister's statement as unfortunate, BJD has stated that Modi should not forget that the BJP was part of the government for nine years in Odisha. The BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said, “If Odisha is a poverty stricken state, why the Prime Minister not given it a special package.”

The leader also said that PM Modi’s statements are an insult to the people of Odisha. “The BJP should not be under the impression that it is in a position to bring change in the government by winning in 292 Zila Parishads in the panchayat polls.”

Leader of Opposition in Odisha government Narasingh Mishra has also criticised the PM stating, “When somebody gets overjoyed by such an ordinary win, his downfall will also be as sudden.” Further attacking the PM over his ‘poverty’ remark, he stated, “The Prime Minister has forgotten that the BJP was part of the government in Odisha from 2000 to 2009 and AB Vajpayee was also Prime Minister till 2004 and Poverty and starvation in Odisha had made international headlines in that period.”

What else the leader of opposition said:

• What has the PM done for Odisha during almost three years since he is in power.
• Instead several schemes for poor and tribals including the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF), Integrated Action Plan (IAP) and KBK have been stopped.
• He has not fulfilled any promise he had made to us during his Lok Sabha election campaign.

What had PM Modi stated in his Gonda rally:

• There is so much poverty in Odisha that if you search for poorest districts in the country you will find them in this state.
• If topics on starvation, illiteracy and unemployment are discussed, people give an example of Odisha.
• With a win in Zila Parishads the people of Odisha have showed their faith in the BJP.
• This shows that the state now wants a clean and transparent government.