BJP blames Naveen Patnaik for 2008 murder of VHP leader Saraswati

Bhubaneswar: In an unusual move, top five leaders of Odisha state BJP unit – president Manmohan Samal, party’s national vice-president and Kendrapara Lok Sabha candidate Baijayant Panda, Union minister and party’s Sambalpur Lok Sabha candidate Dharmendra Pradhan, former Union minister Pratap Sarangi and Bhubaneswar MP candidate Aparajita Sarangi on Monday fired salvos at Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik by raking up key issues like Odia Asmita, deep fake videos, Puri Jagannath temple Parikrama project and “governance failure.” BJP Pratap Sarangi stated that there was big conspiracy behind the murder of Hindu seer Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati in 2008 as his security cover was withdrawn despite threats. People of the state have the rights to know whether the CM is saying himself or it is being done by the person who has captured him like a puppet.” Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given an agenda to make Odisha the No. The ruling BJD ruled here for 25 years and failed to ensure this while other states without any resources excelled far better than Odisha, said BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan.” BJP state president Manmohan Samal claimed that the trend of the first phase voting in Odisha, it showed that it was going in favour of the BJP. BJD MP Amar Patnaik said, “Maybe, to boost the sinking morale of their party workers, the five top BJP leaders held the press conference.” However, the BJD leader parried many questions and issues raised by the BJP leaders.