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Bhubaneswar: Several BJD leaders may skip Thursday’s ‘Chasi Samabesh’, a farmers’ rally being organised by Biju Janata Dal at Sohela in Bargarh district.
Elaborate preparations for the samabesh are under way while agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy, cooperation minister Damodar Rout and revenue minister Bijayshree Routray may not attend the programme, as the party does not want leaders who had made controversial remarks on sensitive issues connected to farmers’ suicide.
The three ministers had embarrassed the government with their controversial statements on farmers’ deaths in recent times.
Responding to criticism of Opposition parties on the spate of farmers’ deaths in the state, BJD women wing chief Pramila Mallick had suggested the critics to feed ‘amar laddu’ (immortality sweets) so that no farmer would die in the wake of drought.
The remarks had led to a furore in party circles and triggered bitter criticism from the Opposition.
Mallick, however, told the media that she has received an invitation from the party organisers to attend the convention and she may make it.
Meanwhile, Congress and BJP have criticised the BJD government over the ministers dealing with agriculture, cooperation and revenue skipping the mega farmers’ rally.
“The ruling party has no democracy,” said leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra.
However, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb termed Opposition remarks as ‘baseless’ saying, “There is no point in raking up the issue, as Chief Minister himself is attending the event to address the farmers.”
BJP fast today
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists will hold a hunger strike in front of Governors’ house Thursday over the spate of farmers’ suicides in the state. The party has decided to stage a 12-hour hunger strike in its bid to expose the BJD government’s failure to prevent a drought-like situation. The hunger strike by the Saffron brigade is an effort to counter BJD’s farmers’ rally at Sohela.
