Bhubaneswar: In a befitting reply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said that he is in a perfect health and suggested the Prime Minister to form a committee to look into the people who are spreading rumours of his health.
Addressing a press meet, Patnaik advised the Prime Minister to concentrate on the revision of coal royalty and demand of special category status instead of concerning his health.
“A number of people of BJP from Odisha and Delhi have been spreading this rumour about my health for the last 10 years. Let me assure the Prime Minister that I am in perfect health and I have been campaigning in our State for last one month. Instead of concerning about such rumours, he should have concentrate on the revision of coal royalty for our State and also our demand for special category status. This will benefit the people of Odisha,” Patnaik said at a press conference at his residence.
The BJD president said that the Prime Minister could have called him over phone and inquiry about his health.
“The Prime Minister at a public meeting in our state has stated that I am in bad health and wants to institute an inquiry committee to enquire in this connection. If you are so concerned about my health and he has stated publicly that I am a good friend of him then all he had to do was pick up telephone and ring me up and asked me about my health,” the CM added.
“If he is to form a committee, then he should form a committee to look into the people who are spreading rumours about my health,” he suggested.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi, while addressing an election rally in Mayurbhanj, said that he is concerned about Naveen Patnaik’s sudden health deterioration and vowed to form a committee to inquire into Chief Minister’s medical history if BJP is elected.
