Bhubaneswar: The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Opposition Congress and Samajwadi Party Thursday staged stiff protests at several places in the state opposing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh’s visit to the state for campaigning for panchayat elections.
The BJD leaders staged ‘Jal Satyagraha’ (sit-in protest in water) in River Mahanadi at Sambalpur and Cuttack to protest the visit of the Chhattisgarh CM to the state.
The ruling party leaders led by Sambalpur BJD MLA Raseswari Panigrahi staged protest in Mahanadi water. Similar scene was also witnessed in Cuttack where hundreds of BJD workers gathered at Tulasipur Mahanadi Ghat for ‘Jal Satyagraha’.
The leaders and party activists also performed ‘Jal Alati’ in the evening against Singh’s visit.
“Singh has not stopped construction of a single barrage in the upper catchment area of Mahanadi despite Orissa’s repeated requests. The protest against the move will be intensified in the coming days,” BJD spokesperson Sashi Bhusan Behera said.
The Congress party also staged a demonstration over the issue in Loisinga block of Bolangir district. Party activists led by Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Narasingha Mishra, staged a protest at a place close to Ram Singh’s rally venue.
Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prasad Harichandan took it to social media to criticise BJP and BJD on Mahanadi issue and also targeted Singh. “#BJP, #BJD responsible for #Mahanadi row. Both playing blame game to divert attention. It’s a case of accused trying to act as judge,” Harichandan tweeted.
“#Mahanadi Raman Singh, Naveen Patnaik enacting farce for political gain. People will give both a befitting reply,” tweeted @prasadHofficial, the Twitter handle of the OPCC chief.
Samajwadi Party activists also staged peaceful picketing holding black flags in front of collectorates of Bolangir and Jharsuguda. “Our protest was against Raman Singh’s anti-Orissa stand and illegal construction of barrages and dams on Mahanadi upper catchment which will affect life and livelihoods of lakhs of farmers in 16 districts of Orissa and will also hit generation of electricity in the state,” said SP state president Rabi Behera.
Hitting back at the rival parties, BJP leader Sajjan Sharma said while the UPA government gave approval to such projects, the BJD government sat idle and now both are trying to give it a political colour ahead of panchayat elections.
He said opposing Raman Singh will hardly have any impact on BJP. As part of the campaign plan, Raman Singh addressed the rallies in Bolangir, Sundargarh and Jharsuguda districts. He is also scheduled to campaign for the party at some places February 11.
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