Terming the ruling BJP’s recent personal attacks on Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik as “unfortunate,” BJD Vice President Sanjay Kumar Dasburma today urged the state government to engage in constructive, fact-based political discourse rather than resorting to mudslinging and questioning the opposition’s patriotism.
The statement comes against the backdrop of the controversy involving the detention of CJP leaders Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka, an incident that has raised serious questions about democratic freedoms and civil rights in the state.
Rebutting state BJP President Manmohan Samal’s critical remarks against Naveen Patnaik, Das Burma asserted that while the ruling party has every right to disagree with the Leader of Opposition, taking recourse to personal insults violates political decorum and democratic values.
“Before labeling Naveen Patnaik as ‘directionless,’ the state government should first clarify its own vision and policies to the public,” said Dasburma. “In a healthy democracy, the opposition’s responsibility is to audit government policies and safeguard public interest. Equating critical questioning with anti-national sentiment reflects an intolerant mindset.”
Addressing allegations surrounding patriotism, the BJD leader remarked that no single political party holds a monopoly on issuing “certificates of nationalism.” He demanded that disagreements be countered with facts and logic rather than hiding behind nationalist rhetoric for political gain.
Dasburma further pressed the ruling party on democratic principles, asking: “Does the BJP leadership expect the opposition to blindly rubber-stamp every government move? Questioning the government in a democracy is a duty, not a crime.”
Highlighting broader electoral concerns, he referred to claims regarding 13 crore Indians and 27 lakh Odias being deprived of their voting rights, urging transparency, accuracy, and absolute protection of every citizen’s democratic rights in the electoral rolls.
Calling on the state government to pivot away from political grandstanding, Dasburma urged the BJP leadership to address core public issues including employment, farmers’ grievances, women’s safety, and youth empowerment.
“Government and opposition are not enemies in a democracy; both are accountable to the people,” he stated, concluding that the public is closely observing actions and will judge leaders by their policies and deliverables rather than rhetorical attacks.
