Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jul 10: 

Biju Janata Dal President Naveen Patnaik today targeted the BJP led Union Government over the perennial ‘Central neglect’ issue and said that Odisha is a victim of political discrimination.

Patnaik said so while addressing BJD's extended body meeting held in Odisha capital today in the run up to panchayat polls scheduled to be held next year.

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“May it be the UPA government or the NDA government, both have been neglecting the state. Odisha has not been able to get its due from the Centre until now. We have always been the victim of political discrimination. We will no longer tolerate this injustice,” said Naveen addressing the district and state level leaders of his party.

Such was the significance of the ‘Central neglect’ theme in the meeting that a special session was held to discuss the issue in details. It covered issues such as barrages on Mahanadi by Chhattisgarh government, special category status, no mention of the state in proposed industrial corridor, disparity in drought package and reduction in central assistance among others.

Patnaik further advised the party workers to take the welfare schemes and successes of the government to the people and the party prepared a roadmap for the upcoming panchayat polls in the meeting.

“The Center is not giving us what is due. Whatever is being done here is being done by us and is being financed by the State Government. The Chief Minister advised us to take this message to the villages,” said BJD Vice President Damodar Rout speaking to reporters after the meeting.

Curiously, while the meeting was all about center bashing and preparation before the panchayat polls, Vice President Prasanna Acharya – who was recently nominated to Rajya Sabha – advised the party to introspect before its too late.

“After staying in power for this long, we need to introspect if there has been any downward slide in the organisational structure and the political character of our people starting from workers to the leaders. We need to do it before it is too late,” advised Acharya, whose son Debesh – ironically also a BJD MLA – is currently in soup for attacking the convoy of Union Minister Santosh Gangwar during his tour to Bargarh on June 24.

BJP, on the other hand, refuted the 'Central neglect' allegations and said that BJD rakes up this issue every time it is in trouble.

"The people of the state are angry with the government over a number of issues. The 'Central neglect' is technique to divert the attention," said BJP national Secretary Suresh Pujari.