Cong flays BJD for festival politics

BHUBANESWAR: After hitting the streets over Bramha Paribartan fiasco, the Congress on Wednesday lashed out at the ruling BJD for trying to sell Nabakalebara Rath Yatra as a political product.
The party accused chief minister Naveen Patnaik of engaging BJD leaders and workers to promote the festival as a success story of his government ostensibly for political benefit."It is for all to see to believe the series of mismanagement during Nabakalebara, including the Bramha Paribartan mess and stampede during chariot pulling in Puri. The government's failure has hurt the feelings of people across the country," said leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra.
Narasingha's remarks came when food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Das Burma and Puri MLA Maheswar Mohanty on Wednesday escorted a group of party workers to Naveen Niwas to thank the chief minister for successful management of the Rath Yatra.
"We met the chief minister to thank him for naming the medical college in Puri after Jagannath," Das Burma said. BJD spokesperson Samir Dash described the opposition criticism as 'routine'.
Narasingha, however, refused to buy the minister's statement. He came down on both the BJD and the BJP and accused them of trying to use religious festivals for political benefits.
"The massive poster wars between the BJD and BJP during inauguration of train line at Begunia and national highway at Pipli prove the desperation of both parties to make political capital out of the car festival," he said.
BJP state president K V Singhdeo refused to comment on the issue. "It is government's duty to ensure smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra. It cannot take credit for its success," he said.