BHUBANESWAR: Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday lashed out at the govt, accusing it of handing over the state’s reins to criminals. The BJP hit back, charging that Naveen’s own 24-year rule had harboured lawbreakers.Naveen’s remarks came in response to the assault by goons on a man and his female friend in Berhampur in full public view on Monday evening – a video of which has triggered widespread furore. “Odisha is witnessing a terrifying spectacle of anarchy. It doesn’t feel like BJP rule. Goondaraj is rampant. The brazen attack on a man and woman in Berhampur has shaken the people of Odisha. It seems the BJP govt has surrendered the state to criminals, emboldening them to commit brutal acts,” Naveen wrote on X, questioning police effectiveness.The BJP dismissed the charges. Aska MLA Saroj Kumar Padhi hit back, claiming that lawlessness had peaked under Congress and BJD rule. “For 24 years, Naveen Patnaik’s govt gave criminals a free run. Even those guilty of heinous crimes were not arrested. The BJD created such a mess that we are now paying the price. It will take time to cleanse the goondaraj they left behind,” Padhi said.
