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A senior BJD chief, on situation of anonymity, stated celebration leaders representing Muslim-dominated constituencies are apprehensive following the celebration’s change of stand on the Waqf Invoice.
BJD MP Sasmit Patra.
A bit of senior BJD leaders on Saturday demanded robust motion in opposition to Rajya Sabha MP and nationwide spokesperson Sasmit Patra for “creating confusion” amongst lawmakers forward of the voting on Waqf (Modification) Invoice within the higher home of Parliament.
Patra, additionally the chief of the BJD in Rajya Sabha, is within the eye of the storm after revealing that he had voted in favour of the contentious Invoice.
After the BJD introduced it will oppose the Invoice, and even celebration MP Muzibulla Khan spoke in opposition to it in Rajya Sabha on April 3, Patra put out a publish on X earlier than voting, stating that celebration MPs might vote “as per their conscience” and that there was no whip issued to them.
This led to confusion among the many lawmakers, and lots of senior leaders have raised questions on whether or not Patra might change the choice of Naveen Patnaik, who aside from being the BJD president, was additionally chairman of the parliamentary celebration.
“I abstained from voting due to confusion… the party had earlier decided to oppose the Bill and at the last moment, we were asked to vote as per our conscience,” one other Rajya Sabha MP, Debasish Samantray, stated.
He, nonetheless, selected to not blame Patra.
“Sasmit Patra is not the villain here. He does not take decisions, he merely follows instructions. The real power lies elsewhere, with the ’chief advisor’,” Samantray advised reporters, indicating a detailed aide of Patnaik.
He refused to reveal the identify of the “chief advisor” and stated, “Everybody knows who he is”.
The BJD MP additionally hinted at a “big deal” between the “chief advisor” and the BJP.
“There has been a big deal. The chief advisor has made some kind of arrangement with the BJP. A bureaucrat who has recently taken voluntary retirement may be part of this deal. You all know who has recently taken VRS. I leave it to your understanding,” Samantray stated.
Senior Odisha cadre IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan, the spouse of BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s former shut aide V Ok Pandian, not too long ago took voluntary retirement from authorities service.
Karthikeyan, a 2000-batch Odisha cadre officer, was serving because the particular secretary in Odisha’s finance division.
A minimum of two senior BJD leaders — Prafulla Samal and Pratap Jena — have written letters to Patnaik demanding motion in opposition to Patra for “going against the party stand by voting in support of Waqf Bill”.
Additionally, Ganeswar Behera, the sitting MLA of Muslim-dominated Kendrapara meeting section, additionally criticised Patra, questioning, “Who gave Patra the authority to change the party president’s decision?” “He has committed a mistake for which he is liable to action. Only BJD president has the authority to change the decision of the parliamentary party and nobody else,” he advised reporters, including that this quantities to gross indiscipline.
Each Samal and Jena, of their letters to Patnaik, said that the BJD continues to combat for the socio-economic improvement of minority communities together with Muslims.
“However, instead of winning the trust of the minority communities, such action of Patra has caused damage to the party’s image. Therefore, I urge you to take action as deemed fit,” Samal stated.
Senior BJD chief and former minister Pratap Jena expressed displeasure over Patra’s motion and termed the transfer “anti-party” and “shocking”.
“Patra’s recent social media posts reflect a mindset that contradicts the BJD’s ideological position,” Jena stated.
Jena additionally raised suspicion over Patra’s behaviour and demanded an intensive inquiry into the matter.
“We must investigate who is behind this conspiracy and people responsible for this should be held accountable,” he stated, demanding disciplinary motion in opposition to Patra.
BJD MLA and former minister Badri Narayan Patra was extra important: “This situation was a result of a deliberate mischief. How could Sasmit Patra dare to defy the BJD president’s decision and announce on his own X platform regarding the change of stand? He has put the entire party in a fix and this needs action.” A senior BJD chief, on situation of anonymity, stated celebration leaders representing Muslim-dominated constituencies are apprehensive following the celebration’s change of stand on the Waqf Invoice.
“The Muslims, who constitute over 2.17 per cent of the state’s population, have all along supported the BJD. Now, they may change their political affiliation to the Congress. The present situation has given a wrong message to the Muslim community,” he stated.
Although a piece of senior BJD leaders met Patnaik and held discussions on the matter on Friday, the BJD president was but to provide any comment on the prevailing political state of affairs.
Patra couldn’t be contacted as he was on a tour to Tashkent from April 5 to 9 as a part of the delegation of the a hundred and fiftieth Meeting of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Reacting to the developments, Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal stated, “The recent developments indicate that Patnaik has lost control over his party MPs. He could not impose a whip on them because he does not have command of the party.” On allegations a couple of “deal” between BJD and BJP over the Waqf Invoice, Samal stated, “We do not do deals. Nation is first for us. People worried about the rights of poor Muslims have supported the Bill. The seven BJD MPs have been divided into three categories: one who supported the Bill, those who opposed it and one who abstained from voting. There is no unanimity in the BJD.”
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – PTI)
- Location :
Bhubaneswar, India, India
