Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led double engine government during a special session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, accusing the administration of presiding over inhumane governance and attempting to undermine the state’s political voice through the delimitation process.
The BJD supremo began his address by highlighting a harrowing incident where a family was reportedly forced to exhume a woman’s skeleton and carry it to a bank to prove her death for financial claims.
Shri Patnaik stated that Odisha’s head hangs in shame following international media coverage by the BBC and New York Post. He further claimed that the situation has escalated to the point where the United States issued a travel advisory for its citizens regarding atrocities against women in the state. He characterized the current administration as one of complete apathy and zero accountability, noting that the incident occurred in the Chief Minister’s own home district.
Shifting the focus to the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill, Shri Patnaik clarified that while his party fully supports immediate implementation of women’s reservation, they remains staunchly opposed to its linkage with the delimitation exercise. He reminded the House that Odisha was a pioneer in women’s empowerment, implementing 33 percent reservation in local bodies under Biju Patnaik and later increasing it to 50 percent during his own tenure. He challenged the BJP’s credentials on the issue, pointing out that the BJD had voluntarily given 33 percent of Lok Sabha tickets to women in recent elections.
The former Chief Minister described the move to link reservation with delimitation as a clandestine act designed to push through a redistricting process without adequate factual discussion. He warned that the proposed delimitation seeks to reduce the political rights and distinct identity of the people of Odisha. Patnaik cautioned that history would not forgive those who support a move that silences the state’s political voice.
Concluding his speech in Odia, Shri Patnaik assured the people of the state that as long as he is present, no one can deprive Odisha of its rights. He called on BJP legislators to stop shedding crocodile tears for women and urged the Chief Minister to engage in soul-searching rather than relying on narratives and optics.