Strongly opposing the BJD’s “expensive” Chasi Samavesh at Sohela and accusing the ruling party of doing politics on dead farmers, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday staged a 12-hour agitation here in protest against State Government’s failure to tackle the drought situation and prevent farmers’ suicide.
The launched the stir at 9 am in front of the Raj Bhavan which ended at 9 pm.
Senior party leaders KV Singh Deo (State president) Bijay Mohapatra, Pratap Sarangi, Biswabhusan Harichandan, Manmohan Samal, Prithwiraj Harichandan, Rudra Narayan Pani and Bhrugu Baxipatra were among those who participated in the dharna. They all slammed the Government for not being insensitive towards the farmers’ plights.
Biajy Mohapatra alleged that the BJD organised the Chasi Samavesh spending crore of rupees on its politics on dead farmers. “Instead of extending support and financial assistance to the distressed farmers, the ruling party engaged in gathering party workers for the Chasi Samavesh spending crores of rupees,” said Mohapatra.
Besides, BJP leaders, families of deceased farmers and drought-affected farmers who have incurred huge crop loss also joined the agitation.
“We have been demanding complete waiver of loans of the affected farmers. The State Government hasn’t done any survey of the drought-hit areas,” rued Bhrugu Baxipatra.
The leaders paid their respects to the departed souls of the deceased farmers and expressed solidarity with their family members.
In yet another protest, a large number activists of the Navanirman Krushak Sanghathan, a farmers’ body fighting for the cause of peasants, observed a Jail Bharo Andolan protesting the poor treatment of the Government to farmers and the arrest of seven farmer leaders for intercepting the vehicle of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharhaty in Jagatsinghpur.
Slamming the Government for not extending support to the debt-ridden farmers, Sangathan convenor Akshaya Kumar termed the BJD’s Cashi Samavesh as a farce.
The activists led by Kumar while trying to march towards the Chief Minister’s residence were arrested by security personnel.