Bhubaneswar: Two senior leaders of the BJD Friday disapproved of party president Naveen Patnaik’s statement criticising them for holding a meeting in a hotel, and not in the regional outfit’s office, two days ago.
Four-time MLA Prafulla Mallik and three-term legislator Nrushingha Sahu, both in their 70s, asserted that holding a “casual get-together” in a hotel is not an anti-party activity and none can dictate where one person would meet another.
Altogether 13 senior leaders including Mallik and Sahu had met at a hotel Wednesday which was seen as “groupism” within the party which lost power to BJP in June 2024 after ruling Odisha since 2000.
Patnaik, a former chief minister, had said Wednesday, “I would like to state here that I disapprove of any large meetings in hotels held by party members. They have the party office Sankha Bhawan which is a large building where they’ve been told to hold their meetings and they should do so.”
Mallik, however, said he could not accept what Patnaik said.
“It was not a meeting but a casual get-together. Patnaik was given misleading feedback by some people. Where and when we meet is a personal choice. No one can dictate us on this,” he said, adding that they used to attend official meetings at Sankha Bhawan, the headquarters of the BJD.
Claiming that they are not involved in the anti-party activities, Mallik said that he and other senior leaders are elderly persons having the liberty to meet at will.
“There should not be a restriction on meeting friends in politics,” he said.
On the controversy over the voting flipflop on the Waqf Bill in Rajya Sabha by BJD MPs, Mallik said: “If so many people are suspecting hands of VK Pandian in the RS voting matter, he should come forward and deny the allegation. It will be appropriate and clear doubts.”
The BJD did not issue a whip when the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill came up for voting in Rajya Sabha and left it to the conscience of the MPs. Sasmit Patra, the leader of the BJD in the Upper House, had said in the previous day that the party would oppose the legislation.
A section of BJD leaders is seeing this as a way to help the BJP and they are accusing bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian, considered close to the BJD president, of being responsible for the party’s change of stance.
Patnaik Wednesday came out in support of Pandian and clarified that the bureaucrat-turned-politician was not involved in any of the party activities.
Like Mallik, Sahu also said that they are well-wishers of Patnaik and the BJD.
“We had gathered for a breakfast at a hotel. It is obvious that politics will be discussed when political leaders meet. There should be no restriction on meeting each other,” he said.
Sahu said Pandian may be a good officer, but not acceptable as a politician.
BJD MLA Ashwini Patra, on the other hand, said that the senior leaders directly speak to the BJD president and clear their doubts, if any.
The prevailing confusion will be over soon and there is no need to discuss more on the matter, Patra said.
PTI
