Bhubaneswar: BJP on Sunday asserted that the development of western Odisha remains a key focus area for the govt while responding to opposition criticism after senior party MLA Jayanarayan Mishra on Saturday said the region was ‘historically neglected’.
Speaking at an event in Sambalpur, Mishra had stated that the merger of Koshal region, comprising western Odisha, was a ‘historic blunder’.
Responding to it, BJP’s Pallahara legislator Ashok Mohanty emphasised that these observations were Mishra’s personal views. “He (Jayanarayan Mishra) is a very senior and intellectual leader of our party. Those were his personal remarks. Development across Odisha, including its western regions, is a focus area of the govt. Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi took several initiatives for the development of western Odisha,” Mohanty said.
Notwithstanding Mohanty’s explanation, both BJD and Congress continued their criticism of BJP over Mishra’s comment. “Mishra should read history. His statement is divisive in nature. The chief minister should issue a statement on the issue,” senior BJD MLA and former minister Pratap Keshari Deb said.
Deb further stated, “On one hand, BJP boasts of promoting Odia Asmita (identity). Strangely, their own MLA is questioning the formation of Odisha and claiming that the inclusion of Koshal region in our state was a mistake. This govt is confused. There is a serious lack of coordination among the leaders in BJP.”
Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam also condemned Mishra’s comment. “Mishra wants to divide Odisha and disturb its harmony. He should apologise for his anti-Odia statement. BJP’s Odia Asmita campaign is an eyewash,” Kadam said.