Hundreds of Biju Yuva Janta Dal (BYJD) and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) activists took to the streets on Monday in different parts of the State to protest the denial of special category status to Odisha and Mahanadi water issue.
In Malkangiri district, the BJD activists, led by Malkangiri MLA Manas Madkami, took out a rally raising slogans against Union Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh who rejected the State’s demand for special category status. Madkami said, the BJP-led Government at the Centre has betrayed the people of Odisha. The rally culminated in front of Collectorate where BJD leaders and activists sat on a dharna and later burnt the effigy of Singh.
Jeypore
The district BJD workers staged dharna in front of collectorate protesting construction of barrages over river Mahanadi by Chhattisgarh Government. The activists, led by Pottangi MLA Prafulla Pangi, organised a rally in the town, brunt effigies of VK Singh and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Jharsuguda
At Jharsuguda, Youth BJD members staged protest in front of the Collectorate over the issue. The protestors were led by Western Odisha Development Council Chairman Kishore Kumar Mohanty, Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation Chairman Anup Kumar Sai and senior BJD leaders Tapas Roy Choudhary, Manoranjan Mohapatra, District BJD Youth president Trinath Gual and Municipality Chairman Harish Ganatra. The members also burnt an effigy of Union Minister VK Singh and Chhattisgarh Minister Amar Agarwal. Meanwhile in Dhenkanal, women cell of District Congress Committee led by its president Kamala Baral and Congress leader Govind Patra also took out a rally protesting the gangrape and murder of Jayamani Patra. Congres activists later submitted a memorandum to Governor through the Collector.
Berhampur
At Jharsuguda, Youth BJD members staged protest in front of the Collectorate over the issue. The protestors were led by Western Odisha Development Council Chairman Kishore Kumar Mohanty, Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation Chairman Anup Kumar Sai and senior BJD leaders Tapas Roy Choudhary, Manoranjan Mohapatra, District BJD Youth president Trinath Gual and Municipality Chairman Harish Ganatra. The members also burnt an effigy of Union Minister VK Singh and Chhattisgarh Minister Amar Agarwal. Meanwhile in Dhenkanal, women cell of District Congress Committee led by its president Kamala Baral and Congress leader Govind Patra also took out a rally protesting the gangrape and murder of Jayamani Patra. Congres activists later submitted a memorandum to Governor through the Collector.
Rourkela
A protest rally was taken out and demonstrations staged by BJD’s student and youth wings in front of Rourkela ADM office on Monday to flay BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and BJP government in Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi water dispute. The party members led by Sundargarh district BJD Working president and Rourkela Development Authority Chairman Sarada Prasad Nayak also demanded special category state status to Odisha. Nayak alleged that flouting the norms of Central Water Commission (CWC), Chhattisgarh Government constructed multiple major barrages on Mahanadi claiming those to be minor barrages. The Narendra Modi Government at the Centre is supporting Chhattisgarh at the cost of the people of Odisha, Nayak said.Among others, RNPali BJD legislator Subrat Tarai and BJD’s Odisha unit secretary AC Mohanty were present. Similar protest was staged at Sundargarh district headquarters town. Similarly, members of Rourkela District Congress Committee led by president Biren Senapati and former Congress MLA Pravat Mohapatra staged a demonstration at Uditnagar and sent a memorandum to Odisha Governor. They were protesting recent gangrape and murder of a woman in Dhenkanal district and deteriorating law and order in Odisha during BJD rule.