BJP National Executive Meet: Saffron party to play Paika card

Bhubaneswar: While buck-passing and war of words continue between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the former's national executive meeting in the State, the saffron party is now playing a different ball game to owe voters with the inclusion of the great Paika rebellion on its agenda for the two-day meet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will felicitate the kins of the Odia freedom fighters of the Paika rebellion, an armed uprising against the Britishers in 1817. Even though the programme will be held in Raj Bhawan, BJP has already played its card to take political mileage out of it.

List-making, bearing the names of the kins, is already underway. Raghu Dibakar, Laxman Nayak, Chakhi Khuntia, Bauxi Jagabandhu, Veer Surendra Sai, Nirmal Munda and others names have been included in the list.

BJP is leaving no stone unturned to strike the right chord during its two-day national executive meet in the Capital city on April 15 and 16. It had earlier observed the bicentenary year of Paika Bidroha as part of its strategy to promote the heroes of the State.