The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday launched a sharp attack on Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, accusing him of deliberately misleading the people of Odisha with “blatant lies” about the prolonged delay in appointing a new Lokayukta.
Addressing a press conference at Sankha Bhawan, party spokesperson Dr. Lenin Mohanty tore into the minister’s recent remarks. When journalists questioned the two-year delay in filling the post, Pujari had reportedly asked whether two years was a bigger issue than the 24 years under the previous BJD government. Mohanty dismissed the comparison as a crude attempt to shift blame and shield the current BJP government from public criticism.
“Lies have become BJP’s capital,” Mohanty declared. “They relied on lies during the elections and are continuing to rely on lies after coming to power.” He charged that the BJP, struggling with governance failures and chaos in the state, was using falsehoods to divert attention from its own shortcomings.
Mohanty set the record straight on the history of the institution. After the Central Government enacted the Lokayukta Act in 2013, Odisha became the first state in the country to pass its own Lokayukta Bill in the State Legislative Assembly in 2014. Following due process, the first Lokayukta was appointed in 2018. The term of the then Lokayukta ended in March 2024, while the terms of two members concluded in August 2024. From that point, the responsibility of appointing a successor rested entirely with the BJP government, which has been in power since June 2024.
Yet for nearly two years the post has remained vacant. Mohanty alleged that the BJP government, “deeply immersed in corruption and only interested in painting and renaming things,” showed little urgency in filling the critical anti-corruption position.
He further undercut the minister’s claim of pride that the appointment process had finally begun. The process, Mohanty pointed out, started only after repeated judicial intervention. Hearing a public interest litigation, the Orissa High Court reprimanded the state government on three separate occasions — in September 2025, December 2025, and January 2026 — and directed it to expedite the appointment.
“Minister Suresh Pujari should refrain from telling blatant lies and misleading the people of Odisha,” Mohanty concluded.
The exchange underscores the deepening political battle over accountability and anti-corruption institutions in the state, with the opposition BJD determined not to let the BJP control the narrative on the vacant Lokayukta post.
