Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly Wednesday witnessed a heated exchange of words between the opposition BJD and the ruling BJP over alleged ‘disrespect’ to former chief minister Biju Patnaik on his birthday dated March 5.
As the treasury bench members, including Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik focused on the Biju Patnaik family matters, BJD members staged a walkout in protest.
The discussion was held through a notice for admissibility of an adjournment motion over the state government changing the date of the Panchayati Raj (PR) Divas from March 5 to April 24.
Initiating the debate, BJD deputy leader Prasanna Acharya came down heavily on the state’s BJP government for changing the date of PR Divas from March 5, Biju Patnaik’s birthday, to April 24.
“Though the state has been observing March 5 as the PR Divas for 33 years, the BJP government has changed it to April 24. This shows the state government’s narrow mindset,” Acharya said.
Describing Biju Patnaik as a statesman, Acharya said that the national flags of three nations – India, Russia and Indonesia – were wrapped on the body of Biju Patnaik after his death.
“No other leader in India had such a huge international acceptability as Biju Patnaik. Therefore, shifting the PR Divas from his birthday to another date shows how low the BJP government hit for political gains,” Acharya said.
He said subsequent governments including Congress in the state also observed March 5 as PR Divas as a mark of respect to Biju Patnaik.
However, the BJP government changed this tradition, which has hurt lakhs of followers and supporters of the iconic leader of Odisha, the BJD leader said.
Though the discussion was held on Biju Patnaik, his younger son and Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik was absent in the House.
“There is no need for Naveen Patnaik to remain present in the House. There are thousands of people across India to fight for the dignity of Biju Patnaik,” Acharya said.
Eight-time MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain said that by changing the date of PR Divas, the BJP government has exhibited its “meanness”.
BJP MLAs like Babu Singh argued that though Biju Patnaik was a great son of the soil, declaring
a holiday on his birthday only is insulting to other former CMs of the state.
Several BJP legislators including Babu Singh also made statements about the household affairs of Biju Patnaik, which the BJD found “unacceptable”.
Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, in his reply, alleged that the BJD government had worked against the ideology of Biju Patnaik by not holding Gram Sabha at the panchayat level.
The minister said Odisha has decided to observe the Panchayati Raj Divas dated April 24 along with other states in the country and it has no such intention to disrespect Biju Patnaik.
“We have the highest regard for Biju Patnaik and the state government has observed his birthday in a grand manner,” Naik said.
The minister claimed that the BJD has used Biju Patnaik’s name for political benefits and named the party after him to get votes.
“The BJD is not a trustworthy party,” Naik said.
Irked over the minister’s statement, the opposition BJD members staged a walkout.
“The minister is making unrealistic and absurd statements referring to Biju Patnaik’s family which is not acceptable,” Acharya said outside the House.
PTI
