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Biju Janata Dal MP Sasmit Patra came out heavily against the Bharatiya Janata Party in Odisha, accusing it of indulging in a "systematic conspiracy" to eliminate the "rich legacy" of former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik from the state.
Patra also alleged that the BJP tried to change the name of the state's sports awards which were in the name of Biju Patnaik, and the date of Panchayati Raj Diwas, which was earlier on the birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik. Speaking to ANI, the BJD MP said "It has been a few months since the BJP came to power in Odisha. There has been a systemic conspiracy to eliminate the rich legacy of the late Biju Patnaik." "They tried to change the name of the state's sports awards, which were in the name of Biju Babu. They had to backtrack when there was an opposition. They wanted to change the Panchayati Raj Diwas from March 5, the birth anniversary of Biju Babu and changed it to another date. There was a holiday...but it was struck off from the calendar... Apart from that, Biju Babu statues have been defaced," he stated. Accusing the BJP of doing "extremely low levels of politics," Patra said the people of the state have realized their 'mistake' of electing the BJP. "These are the extremely low levels of politics happening in Odisha under the BJP's government...We have been raising these issues in the state but now we will raise it in the Parliament. People of Odisha have realized that they've made a big mistake by electing the BJP," he further stated. Earlier on March 5, Patra had reiterated the party's demand for a caste census and emphasized that both the general census and caste-based enumeration should be conducted at the earliest. Notably, the BJP overthrew the over two-decade rule of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in the 2024 assembly elections. BJP formed the government in the state for the first time, and Mohan Charan Majhi was elected as the Chief Minister. (ANI)
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