My Health Perfectly alright; Stating It Public Means 'For Vote': Naveen Patnaik On PM Modi's Remark About His Health
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that a special committee would be formed to investigate the deteriorating health of Naveen Patnaik in BJP comes to power, the Odisha Chief Minister today said that the Prime Minister was trying to garner votes during the election time.
While addressing a rally in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, the Prime Minister had yesterday said that he was very worried about the Chief Minister”s health and claimed Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief”s health has deteriorated so much in the last year, adding that people close to Naveen discuss his health whenever he meets them.
“The question is, is there any conspiracy behind Naveen Babu”s ill health? This is the right of the people of Odisha to know. Is there any involvement of that lobby in this which is enjoying power in Odisha behind the scenes in the name of Naveen Babu? It is important to uncover this mystery, Therefore, after the formation of the BJP government in Odisha on June 10, our government will form a special committee and will investigate why Naveen Babu”s health is suddenly deteriorating,” the Prime Minister said.
However, refuting the Prime Minister”s claim, the BJD chief said the rumour about his health has been spread by the “BJP people in Delhi” for the last 10 years. “My health is perfectly alright,” said the Chief Minister.
“All I have to say is that if PM Modi is so concerned about my health, all he needed was to pick up a telephone and inquire about my health instead of stating it loudly at a public meeting three times yesterday,” Naveen Patnaik said in an interview with the news agency ANI.
The Prime Minister reportedly made the remarks about the Odisha chief minister after a video of Patnaik”s close associate VK Pandian grabbing the chief minister”s trembling hand during an election rally went viral on social media.
The Prime Minister in the rally further said that the chief minister is no longer able to do anything on his own. “People who have been close to Naveen Babu for a long time believe that there could be a conspiracy behind his deteriorating health,” he said.
Notably, following the failure in finalising the seat-sharing talk between BJP and BJD for the 2024 assembly elections and general elections, the alliance between the two parties was not realised.
