Odisha's reputation was damaged by four episodes of community conflict in a span of three months, according to Naveen Patnaik.

Bhubaneswar: Naveen Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, expressed his concern on Monday about the four instances of communal unrest that have occurred in the first three months of the new BJP government. In his eyes, these incidents have greatly damaged the peaceful image of the state. The ruling BJP, on the other hand, strongly refuted Patnaik's statement, accusing him of trying to instigate further violence and chaos.

Patnaik, who was once the Chief Minister of Odisha, made these remarks while meeting with BJD leaders from Bhadrak, the location of one of the communal flare-ups. He stated, "Four incidents of communal unrest within just three months under the BJP government have raised serious questions about the efficiency of the state government. The incidents occurred in Balasore, Khurda, Dhamnagar, and Bhadrak, and have greatly impacted the peaceful identity of Odisha." He emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and harmony in the state and urged everyone to work together towards this goal.

In response, the BJP reminded Patnaik that Odisha has a history of communal violence even during his tenure as the Chief Minister. "According to the NCRB report, Odisha ranked third in the country for communal riots in 2017, with a total of 91 reported incidents. This was after Bihar and Karnataka. It is important to remember the large-scale violence in Kandhamal in 2008, Sambalpur in 2023, and Bhadrak during Ram Navmi in 2017," they stated.

Anil Biswal, the State BJP spokesperson, also added that during Patnaik's term as the Chief Minister, Odisha witnessed an average of four communal disputes every month in 2023. "Last year alone, there were 48 such disputes in the state," he claimed.

During the meeting with the district BJD leaders, Patnaik urged them to inform the public about the positive work done by his government and expose the false claims made by the BJP during their upcoming 'Jan Sampark Pada Yatra', which is set to begin on October 2. He also encouraged the party's leaders to actively participate in this outreach programme.

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