Rajnath Singh criticizes BJD and Congress over Odisha's stalled progress

Bhubaneswar, May 19: During a public meeting at Rairakhol in the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday, Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh criticized the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress for the persistent poverty and lack of development in Odisha. Singh noted that Congress governed Odisha for 50 years, followed by BJD for 25 years, yet the state has not seen significant progress in the last 75 years.

Singh accused the BJD and Congress of obstructing progress and failing to eradicate poverty. He also expressed concern over the state's cultural heritage, claiming that important documents, manuscripts, and artifacts have been lost under the BJD government.

Highlighting the issue of the missing key to the Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath temple in Puri, Singh promised a thorough investigation into the matter if the BJP comes to power in the state.

Furthermore, Singh criticized the BJD government for allegedly hindering the implementation of central schemes aimed at providing benefits to the people. He mentioned the slow progress in providing pucca houses, toilets, and cooking gas, as well as the limited reach of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Singh assured that the BJP would focus on providing pucca houses, safe drinking water, and fully implementing the Ayushman Bharat Yojana if elected to govern Odisha.