BJD has made deal with BJP to evade arrest for 24 years of scams & corruptions: Sofia Firdous

The political temperature in Odisha soared on Monday after Barabati-Cuttack MLA from the Congress MLA Sofia Firdous came down heavily on Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray, accusing him of indirect support to the Waqf Bill and misleading the public with evasive remarks.

The Waqf Bill, which has already stirred heated debates across the country, has now sparked a political storm in Odisha as well.

Allegations Of Congress MLA

In a strong statement, Sofia alleged that while BJD MP Sasmit Patra had clearly stated that he voted in favour of the bill, Debashish Samantaray tried to dodge accountability by claiming he "walked out" during the voting process.

“If Sasmit Patra can openly say he voted in favour, why is Debashish Samantaray hiding behind ambiguous statements? Saying ‘I walked out’ clearly means a deal was made. There was 100% deal to escape arrest for all the scams and corruption during the 24 year rule,” Sofia asserted, hinting at backdoor political negotiations.

She further alleged that several leaders from the ruling BJD were involved in secret deals to shield themselves from political backlash and are now trying to mislead the people.

“One of their (BJD) MPs claimed that he abstained from Waqf Bill in the interest of people of Barabati-Cuttack. But I want to ask, if he had some emotion for the people of constituency, then he should have voted against the Bill like MP Sasmit Patra said that he supported the Bill. But by staging a walkout, MP Debashish Samantaray supported the BJP and the Bill,”alleged Barabati-Cuttack MLA Sofia Firdous.

According to the Congress MLA, they (BJD) have struck a deal just to save themselves. Debashish, too, supported the Bill but is trying to play safe by using confusing language,” she said. 

According to Sofia, such behaviour is not just political opportunism but a direct betrayal of the sentiments of the Muslim community in Odisha, especially in Cuttack, which has a significant minority population.

“This is nothing short of cheating the Muslim community. The people trusted them to protect their rights, but now they are playing politics for their own gain,” she added, slamming the BJD leadership for not standing up for secular values. Sofia questioned why, despite a prior internal decision to oppose the bill, some BJD MPs ended up supporting it.

Her remarks have added fuel to the ongoing controversy surrounding BJD’s internal stand on the Waqf  Bill. Notably, senior BJD leader Prafulla Ghadei had recently also expressed concern about the party's contradictory stance in the Parliament, further exposing the rift within.

Despite the serious allegations made by Sofia Firdous, no official response has come from Debashish Samantaray so far.