BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday revived the demand for special category State status to Odisha and announced that BJD will continue to fight for it.“Both the national parties - BJP and Congress - had kept special category status as their number one manifesto point. After elections every time, they conveniently forgot it,” Naveen said while addressing the State executive meeting of the BYJD through video conferencing.
He announced that BJD will continue to fight for the demand and keep reminding the national parties about their step-motherly treatment towards Odisha.The Chief Minister maintained that almost every year Odisha faces a natural calamity of humongous proportions because of its unique location in the neck of the peninsula for which the State suffers hugely.
Stating that the BJD is always fighting for the interests of Odisha, the Chief Minister said, “the State leaders of national parties neither have the voice to insist on protecting our unique heritage, nor do they intend to do so in a hierarchical centralised party structure.”
Targeting the leaders of the BJP and Congress, the Chief Minister said BJD as a regional party does not have any bosses in Delhi. Stating that BJD’s bosses are the 4.5 crore people of Odisha, Naveen said, “We have to impress only the people of Odisha and will continue to fight for their rights.” He added that the State has been fighting for the water of Mahanadi, classical status for Odissi music, inclusion of Kosali and Ho languages in the 8th schedule and benefits of mineral riches to come to Odisha and its people.
Stating that the primary objective of the national parties is only to win elections and have power to form government at the Centre, the Chief Minister said Congress governments in the State were remote controlled from Delhi while BJP governments in other states also follow the directions of the national leadership.