Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched development projects worth ₹3,275 crore in Bhubaneswar and used the occasion to strongly criticise the Opposition, blaming the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for what he described as the “backwardness of Odisha” and accusing the Congress of practising “negative politics”.
Addressing a public meeting in the state capital, Shah alleged that Odisha’s progress had been hampered during the two decades of BJD rule in the state. He said the people of Odisha had long suffered due to a lack of development during that period and emphasised that the present government was working to accelerate growth and infrastructure expansion.
The Union Home Minister also targeted the Congress, accusing the party of attempting to tarnish India’s image through political protests. Referring to a recent incident in New Delhi, Shah said Youth Congress members staged a “shirtless protest” during an international summit on artificial intelligence attended by representatives from around 80 countries, including nearly 20 heads of state.
“When the entire world was praising India’s progress in the field of artificial intelligence, Congress leaders tried to defame the country by removing their shirts in public,” Shah alleged while criticising the protest.
His remarks came a day after the BJD and Congress jointly backed a common candidate in a Rajya Sabha election from Odisha in a move aimed at preventing the victory of the BJP nominee. Shah suggested that such political alignments reflected the Opposition’s desperation to counter the BJP’s growing influence in the state.
Highlighting the Centre’s development initiatives, Shah said the newly launched projects would strengthen infrastructure and contribute to Odisha’s economic progress. He reiterated the Union government’s commitment to the state’s development and urged people to support policies that prioritise growth and stability.
