Bhubaneswar: Two days after former chief minister Naveen Patnaik objected to the continued judicial custody of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) functionaries Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, BJP on Thursday accused the BJD president of questioning both the judicial process and the administrative machinery.Addressing a news conference at the BJP state office, party state vice-president Jatin Mohanty said Naveen’s remarks amounted to advising the court that hoisting the national flag in a restricted area was not a serious offence and pressing the administration to secure the duo’s early release.Mohanty said for 24 years Naveen had maintained that “the law will take its own course”, but his latest statement suggested a departure from that position. “If he had faith in the judiciary and administration earlier, why this sudden change of heart?” he asked, accusing the former chief minister of abandoning his principles in an attempt to support disruptive elements.Mohanty criticised Naveen’s post on X, claiming it reflected not only BJD’s political orientation but also a “bankrupt mindset”. He said if BJD was aligning itself with forces that sought to divide the country, it would have to answer to the people.BJP Yuva Morcha also hit back at Naveen on X, asking why he had remained silent when its former state president, Irasis Acharya, and 21 BJYM workers spent 54 days in jail for protesting the murder of former minister Naba Das in 2023. “Where was this sudden concern for constitutional rights then? Odisha knows your double standards,” BJYM wrote.Hitting back at BJP’s criticism of Naveen’s remarks, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty accused the ruling party of diverting attention from governance failures and resorting to personal attacks instead of addressing public concerns. Mohanty said the former chief minister’s appeal for a review of the judicial custody of Ranka and Das reflected his commitment to justice, democratic values and individual rights.