BJD Leader Gets Expulsion Notice Hours Before Presser In Odisha’s Sambalpur

Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Friday expelled Sambalpur District Committee Advisor, Pramod Rath, for anti-party activities.

Interesting, Rath had called a press conference to announce his resignation and disassociation from the ruling party over alleged lack of commitment on the part of the state government for establishment of a permanent bench of Orissa High Court in western Odisha. However, the party expelled him before he could resign.

Speaking to the media, Rath later said that the state government failed to send a report to the Centre despite being told repeatedly. “No meeting was held with Chief Justice of Orissa to discuss the matter. It clearly shows the government’s intention.”

On Tuesday, Ministry of Law and Justice had clarified that the Centre is yet to receive a complete proposal from the state government with the consent of the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court for establishment of a permanent benches in Odisha as per recommendations of the Jaswant Singh Commission.

Rath added that he had been sidelined in the party since 2019. “If telling the truth in a democratic setup is a crime then I am ready to commit such crime thousands of times,” Rath said.

Notably, senior BJD leaders had joined a meeting at Sambalpur on Thursday to discuss organisational strength in the district.