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Bhubaneswar: The special category status tag recently accorded to Seemandhra, the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh has drawn flak from the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) here which accused the UPA govt of “narrow mindset” and playing a "vote bank politics" when the general elections are round the corner.
Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) president Sanjay Dasburma addressing media persons on Sunday said the party is not against special status tag to the newly formed state, but is raising voice for a genuine and justified right.
“We are deeply shocked that Seemandhara has been accorded special category status and the UPA govt is still silent on this for Odisha which we have been demanding for long.”
Claiming that a special category status was Odisha's ‘genuine' right due to its backwardness, Dasburma said, “We are not at all denying special status to any state because it is sole discretion of the Centre to decide about it. But why Odisha is ignored when the Raghuram Rajan committee in its findings has already placed the state as the most backward one in the country.
This definitely shows the narrow mindset of the UPA Govt and the move has too exposed its dirty vote bank politics,” Dasburma rued.
The youth president said the youth wing would stage a dharna in front of the Raj Bhawan tomorrow protesting against the Centre’s apathy, and the statewide agitation would begin from Wednesday.
“We’ll stage a sit-in beginning February 26 at all thirty Collectorates of the state till our demand is met,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state Congress has downplayed move of the youth wing terming it as “false propaganda.”
Senior Congress leader Narasingh Mishra said, “Leaders cutting across party line must be united for a noble cause of the state but here a single political party which wants to take mileage if the tag is granted to Odisha in future."
"I believe a cumulative effort must be initiated rather than an approach by a single party,” stated Mishra hinting at the ruling BJD.
He added, “Its nothing but the party wants to show the people of Odisha that it is more concerned about the state than any other.”
On Thursday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said special status will be given for five years to Seemandhra region - the residual state of Andhra Pradesh following creation of a separate Telangana.
