BJD MP Tears Into Pakistan Over Its Remarks On Minorities In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Wednesday slammed Pakistan over reference to the state of the minorities in Odisha under the “Hindutva obsessed environment”.

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor made an inflammatory remark through his Twitter handle during the day, making specific reference to Christians in Odisha, indicating that the minorities in the state were living in an atmosphere of fear.

“Very Merry Christmas to Christians in Pakistan, across the globe and especially to the ones in the state of Odisha and alike under the Hindutva obsessed environment”,” Ghafoor tweeted, evoking strong reaction from Patra.

Exposing Pakistan’s hypocrisy with regard to the safety of minorities, Patra said Christians in Odisha are safe, strong and empowered and not “butchered” as in Pakistan.

“Please hear a young Christian MP from Odisha (since you referred to Odisha) slamming Pakistan’s anti-minority barbarism before 170 countries this year at the 141st Inter-Parliamentary Union at Belgrade…,” he tweeted in response.

Patra had launched a scathing attack at the Belgrade meet against Pakistan, which had raised the issue of the alleged atrocities against the minorities in India at the forum.

It is shameful and derogatory, condemnable the kind of action Pakistan has been taking over the years. The minorities in Pakistan are fleeing Pakistan because Pakistan is perpetrating crimes on them. Can Pakistan confirm that it is home to 130 UN-designated terrorists and 25 terrorist entities listed in UN? Is this the agenda of Pakistan?

“I am extremely sorry to say we did not want to bring it to the floor, but today the kind of hatred Pakistan has tried to show and the blatant lies it has perpetrated through the IPU and misused the platform, it is shameful. We denounce it, we condemn such lies,” Patra said.