BJD to hold ‘Jal Satyagraha’ to protest Raman’s Odisha visit

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 8:

Odisha’s ruling party-BJD today announced to hold ‘Jal Satyagraha’ in river Mahanadi at Sambalpur and Cuttack tomorrow to register its protest against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh’s visit to the state.

The BJD will hold ‘Jal Satyagraha’ in the above cities from 10.30 AM tomorrow till Singh’s departure from the state, party spokesperson Sashi Bhusan Behera announced at a press conference here today in the afternoon adding that ‘Jal Arati’ will be organized in the evening.

The party accused Singh of not taking any steps on the Mahanadi water sharing dispute despite Odisha’s repeated demand.

“The BJP has invited Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh as its star campaigner for the panchayat polls. We do not have any problem in his coming to Odisha for campaigning. But Singh has ruined the interests of four crore Odias in the Mahanadi issue. The BJP has rubbed salt into the wounds of Odisha people by inviting him for campaigning for the panchayat polls. People all over Odisha have already started expressing the anguish in their minds by staging demonstrations,” stated Behera addressing the press conference.

“The BJD’s youth, women, students’ and farmers’ fronts will stage demonstrations in various patterns after Raman Singh’s arrival in Odisha for campaigning for panchayat polls. BJP inviting Singh to the state has hurt the feelings of our people. Odisha has raised demands at various forums for halting construction of all projects on the upper catchment of Mahanadi, but Singh has not halted a single project. By inviting Singh, who has conspired against the interest of Odisha, BJP has insulted both its mother and soil as well.  Singh has no moral to visit Odisha and beg votes for the BJP. People of Odisha will give a befitting reply,” he asserted.

CPM too will oppose Raman Singh during his visit to Odisha.

The party’s secretariat member Janardan Pati has urged upon the people to boycott Singh.

“Mahanadi water problem is gradually getting acute. The BJP led government in Chhattisgarh is not letting Mahanadi water flow into Odisha. The BJP inviting Singh to Odisha is suicidal,” stated Pati.