Bhubaneswar, Dec 7 (PTI) The BJP today asked OdishaChief Minister Naveen Patnaik to refrain from politicising theMahanadi river water issue in the greater interest of thepeople.
"The chief minister should refrain from politicisingthe matter and especially when the decision to fight forMahanadi has been taken unanimously by all parties," BJP statepresident Basant Panda, told reporters.
Panda said this after the ruling BJD MLAs along withopposition Congress members shouted anti-Centre andanti-Narendra Modi slogans in the Assembly, as the Centre hasnot set up a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi river waterdispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Though 13 political parties including BJD andCongress, joined the Save Mahanadi "satyagraha", the BJP keptitself away from the agitation.
BJP legislature party leader K V Singhdeo, whoattended the all party meeting convened by Assembly Speaker PK Amat, said that his party was all prepared to fight for theOdisha's rights over Mahanadi river. However, the stategovernment and the ruling party should take the oppositionparties into confidence.
While defending the BJP led Central government,Singhdeo said that the Centre has not refused to set up atribunal for resolving the Mahanadi dispute.
"They (Centre) have told the Supreme Court thatOdisha's demand of setting up a tribunal is not backed byevidences," Singhdeo said.
In its affidavit before the Supreme Court, the Centrehas told the Supreme Court that the ongoing dispute betweenOdisha and Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi river should besorted out through negotiations between the concerned parties.
PTI AAMRG.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.