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Hon’ble Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation and Senior BJP leader Shri Amit Shah addressed a public meeting in Sundargarh, Odisha on Friday. Shri Shah criticized the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in the state, highlighting its shortcomings in developmental efforts and emphasized the developmental work accomplished by PM Shri Narendra Modi led government. During the event, Sundargarh Lok Sabha Candidate Shri Jual Oram, MLA Shri Shankar Oram, Rourkela candidate Shri Dilip Ray and Raghunathpalli candidate Shri Durga Tanti were also present at the stage.
Union Home Minister began his address by paying homage to Mahaprabhu Jagannath Ji and Vaishno Devi Maa. He reminisced about the great freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda and Nirmal Munda, invoking their memory as he commenced his speech. As the elections progress, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji is aiming to surpass the “400 Paar” milestone after starting from 270 seats. The goal is to form a BJP government in Odisha and in the center. There’s a projected double transformation in Odisha, with more than 15 Lok Sabha seats and over 75 Vidhan Sabha seats expected to be won by the BJP. This election is not just about electing Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji for the second time, it’s about elevating the economy to the third position globally, about making 3 crore “Lakhpati Didis,” about providing homes to 3 crore poor people, and about removing Navin Patnaik to usher in the era of development.
Shri Shah emphasized that the Congress party had kept the issue of the Ram Mandir unresolved for 500 years. The public re-elected Shri Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the second time, performed Bhoomi Poojan and “Pran Pratishtha” of Shri Ram Lalla. Shri Amit Shah continued, noting that while the entire nation was celebrating Ram Navami, the Biju Janata Dal government in Odisha was obstructing our people from observing the festival. Those who prevented the public from celebrating Ram Navami should not receive votes from the public.
Union Home Minister highlighted the significance of Kashmir as an integral part of India, but Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge questioned its relevance to Rajasthan and Odisha, claiming that every child in Rourkela would sacrifice themselves for it. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s decision to abolish Article 370, which had been a longstanding issue for 70 years, resulted in the permanent integration of Kashmir with India. Prime Minister’s efforts towards eradicating terrorism and Naxalism from India, including Odisha. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji honored the Paika Rebellion by issuing commemorative coins and postage stamps. BJD government in Odisha for consistently disrespecting the state’s pride. Governance in Odisha should operate in Odia, not Tamil. Bhagwan Jagannath devotees are rightfully seeking transparency regarding the keys to the Ratna Bhandar. It’s crucial that the existence of duplicate keys is disclosed to the public and the findings of the investigative agency’s report should also be made transparent. Upon the formation of the BJP government, the commitment is to make this report public within one month, ensuring accountability and trust among the devotees.
Shri Shah emphasized that the 25 years of BJD government in Odisha have been lost years to the state’s development, essentially pushing it back by 50 years. The government’s neglect has particularly impacted the western region of the state. Even today, 27 lakh families are without concrete houses, and before Hon’ble PM Shri Modi ji launched the Nal se Jal initiative, only 3.5 percent of the population had access to tap water. Presently, 26 lakh people in Odisha lack tap water connections. If a BJP government is formed, all these 26 lakh people will receive tap water within one year, signaling a significant step towards progress and development. Even today, 6,412 villages in Odisha lack concrete roads, and the income of Odisha farmers remains the lowest in the country. Upon the formation of a BJP government, farmers’ paddy will be bought at ₹3,100 per quintal. Despite the provision of health coverage up to ₹5 lakh for the poor, the people of Odisha have not been benefiting from this scheme. However, under a BJP government, this issue will be addressed within three months. While every person is entitled to 5 kilograms of free ration, the scheme is currently being run under Naveen Babu’s name. Hon’ble PM Shri Modi’s implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card initiative guarantees that every family member receives their allocated ration at their designated place. The limestone mine in Birmitrapur, was closed down but it was started by the BJP in 2014. Similarly, the Raghunathpali fertilizer plant was sold off. Additionally, although Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a medical college, it never became operational. Nonetheless, under the leadership of the BJP government, endeavors are being made to revive these projects for the welfare of the populace.
Union Home Minister emphasized the importance of having elected leaders govern Odisha rather than allowing officers to run the state, as has been the case in Naveen Patnaik’s government, where tribal lands have been unjustly taken away. Conversely, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Modi ji has shown deep respect for the tribal community. A Tribal Museum worth ₹200 crore is currently under construction, and on 15th November, PM Shri Modi announced National Tribal Day on the occasion of Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary. Moreover, the budget for tribal welfare has been substantially increased from ₹24,000 crore to ₹1 lakh 24 thousand crore. Several initiatives have been undertaken to address the issue of sickle cell anemia, and 740 Eklavya schools have been constructed. In Sundargarh, significant development efforts have been made, including the allocation of ₹700 crore for projects such as the construction of the 24 km Birmitrapur-Brahmani Bypass, the 47 km national highway 143 at a cost of ₹550 crore, and the 310 km Raipur to Jharsuguda railway line worth ₹2,200 crore. Vande Bharat trains and the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar scheme under UDAN have been initiated, along with the establishment of a Multi-Modal Logistic Park in Jharsuguda.
Shri Shah emphasized that Naveen Babu alone cannot drive Odisha’s development forward. He stressed the necessity of a double engine government led by Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji to truly advance the state. Shri Shah urged support for the BJP in both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and called on the people to re-elect Shri Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the third time. He called for achieving ‘400 Paar’ for the NDA in the Lok Sabha and securing the support of more than 75 MLAs in Odisha.