Bhubaneswar, Feb 2: Ahead of the Odia Language Conference, the BJP has dared Chief Miniter Naveen Patnaik to deliver a speech in Odia for 15 minutes without using any teleprompter or Roman script at the conference scheduled to be held on February 3. 

The saffron party said the State government is organizing the conference only to avoid criticism and gain people's attention ahead of general elections. 

"CM Naveen Patnaik should first learn Odia and do all government works in Odia first," said Dillip Mallick, the party's State spokesperson. 

Mallick said the BJD government is acting in the name of language conference. 

"The Naveen Patnaik government has not done anything to promote the Odia language in the last 24 years. He and his government talk about Odia language only when the Chief Minister faces criticism for his inability to read, write, and speak Odia," Mallick remarked. 

The BJP leader termed the Odia language act as inactive as it has provision to award officers who would use Odia language but doesn't have any provision to punish the non-users.  He said the BJD government has failed to use Odia as official language despite a decision taken by the Odisha Cabinet.  

He slammed the government for the lack of Odia teachers, researchers, and lecturers in schools, colleges and universities. 

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