CUTTACK: The Muslim community of Mahanga celebrated the 76th birthday of Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik by organising a mega blood donation camp at Sukarpada on Sunday.
Over 1,000 people in the community including 34 women came forward to donate blood at the camp.
Around 256 units of blood were collected at the camp, organised under BJD’s ‘Jeevan Bindu’ initiative. The programme was organised under the guidance of former Minister and Mahanga MLA Pratap Jena.
“The camp was organised with an aim to fulfil the noble objective of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to make blood accessible to all free of cost,” said Jena.
Earlier, members of the community prayed with the recital of ‘ayat’ of the Holy Quran by Maulana Mohammad Fayazuddin to seek Naveen’s long life. Following the prayer, cakes were cut and the camp was held.
“We are happy to donate blood on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s birthday. Our Chief Minister has always showered his love and affection on us. We pray before Allah to grant him long life and good health,” said local Muslim community leader Mirza Abdul Baig.
Presiding over a meeting, Maulana Abdul Wadood Khan hailed Naveen for his unending support to the minority community. The BJD supremo has always held secular beliefs and sought to ensure religious equality in the State. The philanthropic gesture was a reciprocation of the Muslim community’s love, support and admiration towards Naveen.
The Chief Minister, in 2020, had sanctioned funds, which are being utilised for the creation of pilgrim amenities and community halls in various mosques across the State. As many as 800 pilgrims go for Haj from Odisha every year under a programme that provides Rs 10,000 as financial assistance to purchase Haj kits.
A Haj Bhawan has also been constructed in Bhubaneswar under the leadership of the Chief Minister while multi-city community centres have been built for Muslim pilgrims, said Jena.