Indus Valley Times

ODISHA,MAY 28 : A video of BJD chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik addressing an election rally has gone viral. The reason why it has spread like wildfire isn’t because of the content of Naveen babu’s speech, but the way his aide and BJD leader VK Pandian grabs his trembling hand and tries to hide it from public view.

That 77-year-old Naveen Patnaik’s hands have been trembling for at least five years now is no secret. What has grabbed attention and attracted stinging attacks from the BJP is the way Pandian grabs Patnaik’s trembling hand and tries to conceal it.

The BJP, eyeing big gains, has projected Pandian’s act as being symbolic of his power grab.

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“This is a deeply distressing video. Shri VK Pandian ji even controlled the hand movements of Shri Naveen Babu. I shudder to imagine the level of control a retired ex-bureaucrat from Tamil Nadu is currently exercising over the future of Odisha!” BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister said while sharing the clip on X.

While Himanta Biswa Sarma accused VK Pandian of manipulating Naveen Patnaik, Amit Malviya, the BJP IT cell head, suggested that Patnaik’s tenure should gracefully end due to his “current indisposition”.

“Naveen Patnaik ji had a memorable tenure as Chief Minister. But now he is indisposed. It is, however, unfortunate how he is being pushed to keep up a facade. Odisha realises it. A graceful farewell to the veteran politician and BJD, in these elections, would be a befitting tribute,” Malviya wrote on X, reacting to the viral video.

What is interesting to note is that the attack is not directed at Naveen Patnaik, but VK Pandian, who is considered to be the BJD supremo’s heir apparent. The BJP has time and again attacked the Tamil-born Pandian for influencing Naveen Patnaik and alleged him of grabbing power and reigns from the longest serving Odisha CM.

Reacting to the BJP criticism of VK Pandian, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik reacted to it and hit back at the BJP, calling it a mere distraction.

At the start of the 13-second reaction video, the BJD supremo distinctively put up his left hand (the same hand) on the podium, before making his statement.

“I believe the BJP, which is known to make the non issues to issues are discussing my hands,” Naveen Patnaik said on Tuesday.

“It will not work,” added the Odisha CM.

Odisha is seeing a twin battle. While holding polls for its 147-member assembly, Odisha is also voting for its 21 Lok Sabha seats.

While there is a certain amount of an anti-incumbency factor, Naveen Patnaik is very popular in the coastal state.

“Modi stands for the whole of India, and he has elevated India’s image on the world stage. That message has gone to the people in Odisha. But when it comes to the assembly election, they value Naveen Patnaik. They know that he speaks less and works more,” Bhuwaneshwar-based academic Brahmanand Satpathy earlier told IndiaToday.In.

The Biju Janta Dal, however, has been refuting the claims of Pandian ‘controlling’ the Odisha CM.

“This time, BJP has gone too much below the belt, but the people of Odisha don’t appreciate this kind of personal attack on such a popular chief minister”, BJD leader VK Pandian told IndiaToday.In

Last week, the Odisha CM also tried to brush off the claims regarding his alleged ill-health, saying, “There is a limit to the amount of lies the BJP can tell people. As you can see, I am in very good health and have been campaigning all over the state for months”.

-The India Today