The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) women’s wing protest in front of the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar had a peculiar dichotomy.
While on one hand, the women leaders of the ruling party were firing salvo at the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, it came to notice that some fake protestors reportedly rented for the demonstration were waiting impatiently to get their promised money.
As per reports, the BJD rally organised to target the Centre over the PMAY issue, fell short of women protestors. All this was done to make the rally look like a sizeable gathering and one of the fake protestors admitted the same in front of the camera too.
Asked about the rally, a fake protestor said, “I do not know why the rally has been called. I was told by a BJD party worker to attend the rally and they offered me lunch and Rs 100. So I joined.”
“We are 15 people here. The government has put restrictions on begging. So we are forced to earn money wherever possible,” she added.
The BJD launched the protest today against the alleged plan of the BJP to discontinue the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme in Odisha.
The protest was led by Rajya Sabha MP, Sulata Deo and Bhubaneswar Mayor, Sulochana Das among others.
In January this year, the Centre had sanctioned 9.59 lakh units of houses to Odisha under PMAY. However, the BJP has been at loggerheads with the State government over the identification of eligible beneficiaries for the scheme. The BJP has been alleging that many houses under the scheme have been swindled by leaders and workers of the BJD without eligibility.
(Reported By Chandan Paikray, OTV)