BJP youth wing stages rally, seeks CM's resignation

BJP youth wing stages rally, seeks CM's resignation
Bhubaneswar

Alleging that the Chief Minister has knowingly sold out Lord Jagannath's Amrutmanohi lands to a private company in the name of setting up of a university, the BJP on Monday declared that it would not remain silent until the lands are restored to the original owners and the Chief Minister resigns over High Court verdict to this effect.

"We have been demanding the Chief Minister's resignation in the wake of High Court's verdict that blamed the Government for illegal acquisition of lands for the Vedanta University inside the Assembly. Now the BJP Yuva Morcha is protesting for the same. We would not sit silent until the Chief Minister resigns and lands are restored as per the High Court order," said BJP Legislature party leader KV Singh Deo.

Addressing a huge protest rally of BJP Yuva Morcha (BJPYM), Singh Deo came down heavily on Naveen Patnaik's pro-Vedanta stand and said the latter has no respect for law. "The Chief Minister always preaches- law will take its own course. While he activated it for others in his ministry in the past driving away them, why did not he follow this principle while the High Court has already accused his Government of taking illegal steps for acquiring lands for a private university," Singh Deo slammed.

Commenting on protests by the Opposition inside the Assembly, Singh Deo said the Speaker has been deferring his decision on their privilege motion against the Chief Minister. "The Government is not interested to have a discussion on the issue and finding clues to adjourn the House sine die," the BJPLP leader said. Former Law Minister and senior party leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan said he did not understand why the Chief Minister went ahead for acquiring lands for a private company with no experience in the education sector. "When I was the Law Minister, I had requested him (the Chief Minister) not to give valuable lands of Lord Jagannath to the private company time and again. But keeping ulterior motive in mind he converted the company into a public limited one," the BJP leader said.

He alleged that the Government has violated many laws including Forest Conservation Act, Environment Protection Act, Land Acquisition Act and Sri Jagannath Temple Act. "The High Court verdict on Khandadhar Mines licence and Vedanta University land acquisition deal has proved it," Harichanda said. He also demanded the Chief Minister's resignation on this context.

BJP State president Jual Oram called upon all youth to take the State Government's anti-people issues to the common people and to open Naveen's real face before them. Hundreds of activists of BJPYM led by its president Bibhuti Jena were arrested while they tried to break the police cordon.