BJP alleges Pandian has held CM Patnaik ‘hostage’, urges Odisha DGP to free him

Bhubaneshwar: Alleging that chief minister Naveen Patnaik has been held “hostage” by his deputy VK Pandian, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha on Friday appealed to the director general of police (DGP) to “free Patnaik from the clutches of Pandian”.

In a letter to Odisha DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi, former president of the party’s state unit, Sameer Mohanty, alleged that Patnaik has been held hostage by Pandian for the last few days.

“You must be aware of a sensitive issue in Odisha. The Chief Minister of our state Naveen Patnaik has been held hostage by his former personal secretary VK Pandian for some days...It is evident from the videos posted on various social media platforms of the Chief Minister’s own party BJD [Biju Janata Dal] that the CM of the State is being held hostage by Pandian and some other non-Odia officials. We doubt whether the Chief Secretary and you (DGP) are able to hold discussions with him as per the protocol,” reads the letter sent to the police chief.

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This came amid allegations from Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union minister Giriraj Singh that CM Patnaik was being held captive by his close associate, BJD leader VK Pandian.

On Wednesday, Singh alleged that the Odisha CM is being held captive by a coterie and that they plan to appoint Pandian as the next CM. 

Levelling similar allegations, Sarma said that the BJD leader and close aide of Odisha CM, Pandian, has captured Patnaik, restricting his ability to interact independently.

“All the people of Odisha have the right to know about the Chief Minister. Hence, Odisha BJP is requesting that you in the presence of a justice and some other reputed personalities make the Chief Minister free from the clutches of VK Pandian and hold an interaction with the media in the State. We are expecting that for the larger interest of the State, you will give emphasis to such a sensitive issue and take proper steps in this direction at the earliest,” Mohanty wrote. 

Patnaik quickly responded to this and said that he was fit and had been campaigning for the elections.

Hitting out at the BJP, Patnaik said, “There is a limit to lies. BJP has crossed all the limits….I am fully fit and I have been campaigning across the state over the past one month,” said Patnaik.

Pandian said the BJP should come up with innovative ideas instead of talking about something which does not exist. “You are all watching the chief minister. It is very unfortunate, below the belt. The people of Odisha will not appreciate this kind of demeaning of the chief minister who enjoys such popularity among the people. I only suggest letting them come up with something innovative. It is so substandard (sic),” said Pandian.

The BJP earlier this week intensified its attack against the BJD, asking whether the chief minister himself is speaking in the short videos released by the party or are generated by AI.

“Had the videos been real, the CM would have made similar statements in his public meetings. But at public meetings, he is seen concluding his speech in a minute by reading from a script”, Mohanty alleged, adding the chief minister’s health is not permitting him to speak at length at public meetings. “Hence, the person, who is controlling him and running the government is making such videos using AI.” In response, Patnaik said that the BJP should use its own intelligence.