Naveen Patnaik vows to oppose MMDR Act, calls for repeal of new mining law

BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on Monday said he will fight against the MMDR Act "till his last breath" to "safeguard the future of Gen Z".

Addressing a massive BJD rally outside the Odisha Assembly demanding the repeal of the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, he called upon people of the state and political parties to jointly oppose the new mining law, which he said "snatches the rights of the state".

"This new legislation seeks to snatch Odisha's rights over its land and resources. Therefore, I will fight against the MMDR Act until my last breath," Patnaik, a five-time former chief minister, said.

Claiming that the state will lose crores of rupees in revenue upon implementation of the new mining law, Patnaik said, "I call upon all to join hands and oppose the MMDR Act for the future of our Gen Z. Odisha's future generations will not forgive us if we do not fight against this law which takes away our legitimate and rights."

Attacking ruling BJP MPs from the state for allegedly remaining silent in Parliament when the MMDR Amendment Bill was passed in August, the BJP president asked, "Why are Odisha's BJP government and the 20-odd party MPs silent while the state stands to lose thousands of crores of rupees annually due to this Act?"

The BJD supremo said the MMDR Act is no ordinary piece of legislation and is deeply linked to the rights of the state.

"The people of Odisha are the rightful owners of the state's minerals and land. It is unfortunate that such a crucial bill was passed in Parliament without any discussion. To serve whose interests did the 20 BJP MPs from the state remain silent?" he asked.

"The Odisha government also remained silent... Out of fear of whom?" he added.

Parliament passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in August. The legislation seeks to restrict states' powers to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands.