Hundreds of activists of youth and student wings of BJD on Tuesday formed a human chain
here demanding special category State (SCS) status for Odisha.
Carrying placards, the party activists led by district president of Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) Jajati Das also took out a silent rally from Gandhismruti Bhavan to Collector’s office before congregating there to press their demand.
They protested the UPA Government’s negligence towards the State and demanded special category status to Odisha.
The ruling party has intensified its movement against the Centre on the issue in the wake of recent statement of Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs
Rajiv Shukla in the Rajya Sabha. Shukla had said that the State did not qualify for the status as per the existing criteria.
Criticising the Union Government for its step-motherly attitude towards the State, Das said it was unfortunate to get a message like this from the Union Minister when Raghuraman Rajan Committee has been set up to take a fresh look at the criteria. “Special category status for Odisha is a genuine demand and the BJD under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik has been raising it since 2000. We would continue our rightful struggle till the status is accorded to the State,” he added.
At Baripada, the BYJD unit of Mayurbhanj district took out a rally and staged a protest in front of the Collector’s office.
They also formed a human chain in protest against the anti-Odisha stand of the UPA Government at the Centre.Rourkela: BJD members on Tuesday formed a human chain near Rourkela railway station to press the Centre for according special category state status to Odisha.
Rourkela unit BJD president AC Mohanty said the fight over the issue would continue. Among others, Rourkela municipality Chairperson Rashmibala Mishra, BJD’s youth wing president Sanjiv Nayak and a host of leaders were present.
No Protest in Sambalpur
Sambalpur: The Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD)in Sambalpur refrained from forming human chain in protest against the refusal of the Union Government to accord Special Category Status (SCS) to Odisha on Tuesday in the backdrop of the ongoing agitation of the lawyers on demand for establishment of a High Court bench in the Western Odisha.
Although the BJD agitation was planned across the State, the district unit of the party did not organise it in view of the locals’ sentiment running high against the State Government over regional imbalances, particularly on the HC bench issue.
District BJYD president Subhas Jena said, “Since the State Government offices including the Collectorate and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (ND) are closed, we cancelled our plan to protest by forming human chain.”