Bhubaneswar: A day after the Election Commission sought explanations from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Odisha government over alleged use of the party’s election symbol “conch” in government advertisements, the ruling party on Thursday rejected the claim.
BJD spokesperson Tumbanath Panda told reporters in Bhubaneswar that any use of party symbol in any programme or scheme of the state government has not come to notice.
Stating that conch symbol reflects the love, affection, trust and confidence of 4.5 crore people of Odisha, he said that the people of the state consider conch as the symbol of development and social, economic and political empowerment.
Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to highlight a non-issue, Panda claimed that the saffron party’s ‘lotus’ symbol is being used in different programmes of the Central government.
The BJD leader termed BJP’s move to approach the ECI as a reflection of ‘narrow mindset.’
Notably, the ECI sought clarifications from Odisha and BJD on alleged use of party symbol in state government advertisements.
The EC sent notices to the BJD general secretary and the Odisha chief secretary seeking replies by 5 pm on March 2, sources said. The EC had received complaints alleging the BJD symbol was displayed on advertisements funded by the state government in newspapers, TV channels, hoardings and Odisha State Road Transport Corporation buses, the sources said.
