The Governing Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday slammed the Congress for giving Odisha Bandh call on November 12 over the Mamita Meher murder case.
Speaking to reporters here, BJD National Spokesperson Dr Sasmit Patra said, “It is clear that the Odisha Congress has now become the B-team of the Odisha BJP. Due to its weak financial position, the Odisha Congress activities seems to have taken financial sponsorship from Odisha BJP.”
Any sponsorship is not without conditions as we all know. So it is obvious, the Odisha Congress is dancing to the tunes of Odisha BJP, he claimed.
The BJD leader said COVID pandemic over the past two years devastated lives and livelihood. Crores of jobs were lost and the economy slid down. After the lockdowns, over the past few months the people of Odisha are back on their feet and at work. They want to work and recover the losses to their livelihood that happened due to COVID.
However, at this critical juncture, the State Congress has called for a Bandh tomorrow, thereby severely impacting lives and livelihood of 4.5 crore people of Odisha, Patra said.
On the Mamita Meher case, he said, “The family has lost a bright and budding daughter and we are all saddened by this incident. The family has requested everyone not to politicize this case and they are satisfied by this investigation. Still Congress seems to be joining hands with the Odisha BJP to do dirty politics in this case.”
He alleged that the Congress party’s intention is not justice for the victim but cheap politics in staying relevant within their party and in the good books of Odisha BJP so that it would continue to sponsor the State Congress.
Dr.Patra dared the Congress leaders to move to court, if they have any evidence in this matter.
Highly criticizing the Congress, the Rajya Sabha MP said the party does not want to raise issues of people’s interest anymore such as price rise, unemployment, farmers agitation, etc. Instead, it wants to do whatever Odisha BJP asks it to do, he alleged.
The BJD urged the Congress to withdraw its Bandh call scheduled for tomorrow. “People of Odisha do not want a Bandh. They want to go to work and earn their livelihood. Odisha Congress should not deprive the people of Odisha from their right to earn a living,” Dr.Patra said.
People of Odisha have seen this dirty politics by the BJP and Congress. However, the Congress refuses to learn its lesson and therefore losing its relevance in Odisha politics, the MP further said.
A team the Odisha BJP which is sponsoring this Bandh and will give a befitting reply at the right time to both the Odisha Congress and it’s A-team the Odisha BJP, he added.