Odisha News Times News Of Odisha For Odisha
Bhubaneswar:3/06/18; The Odisha unit of Bhartiya Janata Party today dismissed the movement led by BJD on Mahanadi water sharing dispute as a propaganda and vote bank politics.
Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and former Law Minister Biswa Bhusan Harichandan said that BJD’s campaign, ‘Mahanadi Suraksha Abhiyan’ (save Mahanadi campaign) is an attempt to divert attention of public from core issues.
“The Supreme Court could have given an interim stay order on construction of barrages over Mahanadi by Chhattisgarh. The Tribunal is all powerful to order stay or status quo. Instead of fighting for the State’s interests at the Tribunal, the BJD has resorted to public gimmicks,” Harichandan said.
The Biju Janata Dal, on the other hand said that Centre had opposed the Mahanadi Tribunal in the Supreme Court and the BJP is targeting to score on this issue during on the Chhattisgarh assembly elections scheduled this year.
“Why has the Centre not taken any concrete step on the formation of the Mahanadi Tribunal? Their intention is clear. The Union Minister for Petroleum accepted on record that Chhattisgarh committed a mistake. But how many times did he apprise the Prime Minister about this matter,” BJD Spokesperson Sasmit Patra said.
