Bhubaneswar: Amid Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) support to Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019, Congress has alleged that ruling party has forged an ‘unholy alliance’ with the BJP for which it is not raising issues concerning the state in the Parliament.
Addressing a press conference here Monday, state Congress president Niranjan Patnaik said, before the elections earlier this year, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik claimed that his party would maintain equi-distance from both the BJP and the Congress, but he took a U-turn.
“After the elections, the BJD and the BJP joined hands and are working to the detriment of Odisha’s interest. Burning issues that are important to the state are not being raised in Parliament because of the understanding between the two parties,” he claimed.
Niranjan said three BJD MPs along with others recently gave notice for discussion in Rajya Sabha on the economic crisis and their names had figured in a revised list of business of the House the next day. “But, unfortunately, the three parliamentarians representing Odisha did not participate in the discussions,” he said.
When Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka raised the issue relating to the Smitarani death case in Jajpur district during Zero Hour, BJD lawmakers opposed it while BJP members remained silent spectators, Niranjan said. “If there is no nexus between the two parties, why the CBI is silent on chit fund scam?” he asked.
Referring to the recent election for AIIMS governing body, he said BJD MP Amar Patnaik was elected defeating BJP MP Ashwini Vaishnaw though the saffron party’s numbers were more than 10 times than that of Naveen Patnaik’s party in the Upper House.
“All these amply prove that the BJD-BJP combine is based on opportunism. Both are working against the interest of Odisha,” the PCC chief alleged.
However, BJD and BJP rejected the allegations.
“We are not supporting all the Bills. We are extending our support to those Bills which are in the interest of state, nation and people. We never entered into any deal with the BJP. We have deal only with the people of Odisha,” said senior BJD leader Pratap Keshari Deb.
Similarly, BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said, “As Congress had done so in past when it was in power, they are making such statements now. It is Congress’ mindset. So far as Citizenship Amendment Bill is concern is concerned, all should support it.”
