Odisha LoP Naveen Patnaik speaks to the media on lifting of ban on government employees’ participation in RSS activities, in Bhubaneswar, on July 22, 2024 | Photo Credit: PTI
The Biju Janata Dal appears to have toughened its stance against the core positions of the Bharatiya Janata Party with former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik describing the Narendra Modi government’s decision to lift the ban on government employees participating in Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities as shocking.
When asked about the Centre’s decision to do away with ban on participation of the government servants in activities of the RSS, Mr. Patnaik said, “I cannot believe it. It seems utterly shocking.”
In another post on X, Pratap Jena, senior BJD leader, said, “The recent order by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, requiring shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names, is troubling.”
“This rule invades people’s privacy and creates religious tension by targeting specific groups. Instead of bringing people together, it seems intended to divide and instill fear. The holy month of Sawan should be about unity and peace, not policies that cause conflict,” he said.
The former BJD Minister said the (Uttar Pradesh) government should focus on important issues like healthcare, education, and infrastructure rather than enforcing unnecessary and divisive rules.
This new found aggression of the BJD was contrary to its previous support to the BJP’s contentious laws such as the implementation of Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and the abolition of special provisions in Article 370. Mr. Patnaik had, however, distanced itself from the National Register of Citizens or NRC.
In the last 10 years, the BJD MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have bailed out the Modi government on every contentious Bill, including on no-confidence motions, he said.
The Congress accused the BJD of bailing out the Modi government on every contentious Bill, including on no-confidence motions in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the last 10 years. The BJD had even supported candidature of Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s election from Odisha to Rajya Sabha.
“The BJD has no choice, but to position itself against the BJP. After losing power to the BJP, the regional party sees the threat of disintegration with the saffron party holding power both at Centre and State. BJD’s aggressive posture is aimed at keeping the cadres enthused,” said Rabi Das, veteran journalist and political commentator.
