Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Friday accused Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan of misleading people on various issues by giving false data at various public forums.

Pradhan had claimed that Odisha had benefited hugely as the BJP ruled the country in the last four years.

The party on Friday paraded its youth brigade, including former minister Sanjay Das Burma, health and family welfare minister Pratap Jena, Rajya Sabha member Pratap Deb, MLA Arun Sahu, Bijay Nayak and Sasmit Patra, to counter various allegations levelled by Pradhan. The party also posed five questions to Pradhan and asked him to answer those.

Das Burma said: "We wanted to know from the BJP what was their stand on the issue of granting special category state status to Odisha. Besides, when the Prime minister will give an appointment to the House committee of the state assembly on the issue of minimum support price."

He said: "It's an humiliation that despite request from the Odisha Assembly, the Prime Minister's office has not give an appointment so far. We need an answer when our demand of Rs 2,930 on MSP would be fulfilled."

Criticising the BJP-led government for ignoring the cause of Odisha, he said: "Our party also wanted to know whether industrial corridor would be extended to Odisha or not. Despite being a mineral-rich state we have been deprived of it."

Accusing the BJP leadership of taking a double stand on the Mahanadi water row, he said: "We would like to know whether Pradhan would advice his party colleague and Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh to open the gates and not to indulge in illegal construction on the upper stream of the Mahanadi."

Das Burma also said: "The party wanted to know when the people will get respite from the rising fuel price."

The party also accused Pradhan of misleading people over construction of national highways in the state.