New Delhi: Many Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs Tuesday extended support to the protest here aimed at saving the Mahanadi and the interests of Orissa. The protest was held on Parliament Street here Tuesday.
The campaign named ‘Mahanadi Bachao Satyagraha’ aimed at putting pressure on the Centre to constitute a tribunal on the matter was later joined by BJD MPs who took part in the sit-in. The organisers said the protest was supported by 14 political parties.
The two-day campaign which commenced Monday was spearheaded by the Mahanadi Bachao Andolan. Convener Basudev Bhatt told reporters, “The main aim of the protest was to press the Centre to set up a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi issue as they have been giving assurances on that in the past and are now backtracking.”
The BJD MPs who took part in the protest included the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Tathagata Satpathy, Puri MP Pinaki Mishra, Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda, Rajya Sabha MPs Pratab Keshari Deb and Prasanna Acharya and other BJD MPs. CPM leader Prakash Karat also supported the cause besides leaders from the Congress, RJD, Samajwadi Party and others.
But the BJD failed to make the Lok Sabha Speaker hold discussions on the Mahanadi issue in the last two days. The party is now planning to hold a demonstration at the Gandhi Statue on Parliament premises Wednesday outside Central Hall to raise the Mahanadi issue.
The demonstration is planned before the Wednesday session in which all BJD MPs from the Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha are likely to take part. The state government has been demanding formation of a tribunal to end the Mahanadi water dispute.
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