Bhubaneswar: BJD president Naveen Patnaik Wednesday wrote to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging him to take up with the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government the escalating tension over the neighbouring state’s move to hold rural elections in the disputed Kotia region.
Patnaik’s letter came a day after officials of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh reportedly faced off, triggering tension in the cluster of villages along the inter-state border.
The latest flashpoint arose after the Andhra Pradesh government initiated steps to hold rural elections in some villages in Odisha territory. The polls are scheduled for November 5.
Ahead of the elections, the Odisha government deployed three check posts along the border to maintain peace and prevent unauthorised entry into the Kotia region and election-related activities by officials and police personnel from the neighbouring state.
Patnaik, who had also written to Majhi October 19 over the issue, said in his latest letter, I understand that the situation on the ground has further deteriorated, with reports of growing tension and confrontation between officials of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. It is particularly concerning that Andhra Pradesh is proceeding with its elections in Kotia tomorrow, despite its implications for Odisha.
In view of the prevailing tension and the imminent elections, I urge you to take up the matter with the Union Government and the Government of Andhra Pradesh at the highest level, he said.
The former chief minister pointed out that both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were governed by parties belonging to the NDA, led by the BJP, and said urgent steps were needed to protect Odisha’s territorial integrity, as promised in the BJP’s 2024 election manifesto.
As the Chief Minister of Odisha, it is your (Majhi’s) moral responsibility to ensure that the state’s legitimate interests are firmly protected and the situation on the ground is not allowed to escalate any further, Patnaik said.
He also expressed hope that the BJP leadership would honour its commitment to the people of Odisha and fulfil its promise on the Kotia issue.
The BJD has also accused the Odisha government of engaging in a Noora Kushti (staged fight) with Andhra Pradesh at the behest of the Centre.
In a statement, the regional party said the Supreme Court, in its 2006 judgment, had made it clear that inter-state boundary disputes, including the Kotia issue, should be resolved through parliamentary intervention.
Parliament alone is required to determine the territorial limits of states, the BJD said.
At a press conference, BJD leaders further alleged that the Odisha government was reluctant to take proactive steps due to pressure from the BJP’s central leadership, which they claimed was keen to keep its ally, the TDP-led Andhra Pradesh government, in good humour.
Senior BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra alleged that the Odisha government was maintaining silence out of concern that the TDP might withdraw its support to the BJP-led government at the Centre.
Meanwhile, Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said the state government had filed a contempt petition against Andhra Pradesh officials for allegedly proceeding with plans to hold rural elections in Odisha territory in violation of a Supreme Court order directing both states to maintain status quo.
We have moved the court and also deployed force at the border to maintain peace in the Kotia region of Koraput district. If required, we will approach the Centre for a solution and urge it to convince Andhra Pradesh that Kotia is an integral part of Odisha and cannot be separated at any cost, Pujari told reporters.
He said the dispute was nearly a century old and recalled that the Supreme Court had directed both states to maintain status quo in 2006.
Kotia area belongs to the Odisha government. The Andhra Pradesh government does not have even a small room in Kotia. So, without any infrastructure, how can they claim the area The fact that some people in Kotia speak Telugu does not empower you to claim the territory, the minister said.
Pujari alleged that administrative officials from Andhra Pradesh were entering Odisha territory to lure voters by offering rice and monetary benefits. He claimed that local residents had driven them away.
If they try to enter our territory again, they will be driven out. Prohibitory orders have also been imposed, restricting the assembly of more than five people in a particular area, he said.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das said the state government should take necessary steps at the judicial and political levels without hesitation to protect the state’s territorial integrity.
