Two days after BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi criticised Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Yogendra Yadav called him a ‘Mauni Baba over his government’s alleged complicity in the Rs 60,000 crore mining scam.

Yadav said the Orissa chapter of AAP would field an “honest” candidate against Naveen in the polls. He urged party workers to reach out to people across the state and raise the mining scam.

“He is surrounded by corrupt people. If someone points it out, he immediately removes them,” said Yadav, at a rally. He slammed Naveen for his inability to speak Oriya, even after 14 years of ruling the state.

Yadav compared Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Patnaik and said both are Mauni Babas, who close their eyes when they see corruption around them. He also criticised the CM for his inability to speak Oriya.

“It is a shame your chief minister cannot speak the mother tongue of the people in Orissa. I feel ashamed of my inability to speak Oriya when you can speak good Hindi, which is my mother tongue. I should learn Oriya,” he said.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.