Bhubaneswar, April 30: Senior Congress leader and former law minister Narasingha Mishra today accused the Naveen Patnaik government of adding a political character to its demand for a special category status to Odisha.
Addressing a news conference at Congress Bhavan, Mishra said: “Chief minister Naveen Patnaik should behave like the head of a state rather than the head of a particular group. He should unite political leaders across all parties and present the case in New Delhi in the state’s interest.”
Mishra has criticised the BJD’s signature campaign for the special category status that kicked off on April 28 coinciding with the 165th birth anniversary of legendary leader Madhusudan Das. He said the ruling party aimed to collect signatures of one crore people without sparing a thought for the remaining three crore people of the state.
“The Congress has already announced its support for a special category status. The ruling party should not make a mockery of the entire issue by observing a hartal and later going on a signature campaign,” he said.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Bhupinder Singh today met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and discussed the issue. “I have congratulated her as the Centre relaxed norms for according the special category status. Existence of an international border would not be mandatory while considering a state for the status,” he said.
Earlier this week, Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik, Opposition leader Bhupinder Singh and Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded that the special category status be accorded to Odisha while demanding more funds for Odisha.
Reacting to the allegations, finance minister Prasanna Acharya said: “They (Congress) and not us are making a mockery of the entire issue by going to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and their high command.”
Besides holding discussions on the issue of strengthening the party, Singh also informed Sonia that the BJD government had failed miserably in utilising the central funds under various schemes.
On the other hand, BJD MPs in Delhi today shunned Parliament proceedings. “We boycotted the proceedings in protest of the Centre’s continued neglect towards Odisha’s interests,” said Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patasani.
