The Congress on Wednesday demanded to know from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as to what he did during his term as a Cabinet Minister at the Centre during the NDA regime to realise the demand for Special Category State (SCS) status for Odisha.
And now why this rhetoric in a BJD rally in New Delhi on the issue when the UPA Government has already formed a committee for making changes in the existing criteria meant for declaring a State as a Special Category one, Congress leaders asked. They added that the case of Odisha would certainly be considered favourably when the criteria are changed.
The senior State Congress leaders who strongly reacted to the BJD rally included PCC president Jayadev Jena, former PCC chief Niranjan Patnaik and former Minister Narasingha Mishra.
Moreover, Niranjan Patnaik and Narasingha Mishra pooh-poohed the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD ‘Swabhiman Samabesh’ in Delhi, saying the Chief Minister who has scant regard for the Odia language and culture should not claim to uphold Odisha’s Swabhiman (sense of pride).
Niranjan Patnaik and Mishra said it is an irony that the Chief Minister who has not tried to learn Odia language during his 14 long years of rule is airing Odisha’s Swabhiman in the national capital.
They described the BJD Delhi rally as only a political gimmick ahead of the general elections. PCC chief Jena said the BJD’s show would not have any effect on the people of the State.