Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday asserted that he was fit and fine. “Meri tabiyat bilkul thik hain (I am absolutely fine),” Naveen said while responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern about his health.

Naveen said: “Had I not been well, I would not have campaigned in this hot season.”

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, he said: “I understand that the Prime Minister in a public meeting in our state today has stated that I am in bad health and he wants to institute a committee to inquire this matter. If he was so much concerned about my health and he stated publicly before that I am a good friend of him…. all he had to do was to pick up a telephone and ring me up and ask me about my health.”

Targeting the saffron party for health issues instead of issues concerning the state, Naveen said: “I understand that a number of people of the BJP from Odisha and Delhi are spreading rumours about my health for the last 10 years. Let me assure the Prime Minister I am in perfect health and have been campaigning in our state for the last month in the heat.”

Raising the state’s demand, he said: “Instead of concerning about such rumours, he should concentrate on the revision of coal royalty for our state and also our demand for special category status which we have been making for years. This will benefit the people of Odisha with all that fundings.”

On the issue of forming a committee, Naveen said: “If he is to form a committee, I suggest he forms a committee to look into the people who are spreading such false rumours about my health.”

He said: “This is election time. All these things have been said to get votes only.”