Bhubaneswar: The principal opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday announced its plan to gherao the Odisha Assembly building in Bhubaneswar on September 23, alleging ‘systematic curtailment’ of powers vested in elected representatives under the Panchayati Raj system.
Addressing a press meet, senior BJD leaders Debi Prasad Mishra, Pramila Mallik, and Arun Sahoo said that elected representatives at the grassroots level are being stripped of their authority, undermining the spirit of decentralisation.
The leaders claimed that such moves weaken democracy and go against the very foundation of the Panchayati Raj structure, which was introduced to empower local self-governance.
As part of the protest, Zilla Parishad chairpersons, block chairpersons, sarpanches, and ward members from across the state are expected to join the demonstration.
This move comes amid a row over the state government’s decision to shift Panchayati Raj Divas from March 5 (Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary) to April 24, a change that BJD leaders have described as an attempt to erase Biju Babu’s legacy.
Meanwhile, ruling BJP leader and MLA Tankadhar Tripathy criticised the BJD over its move to protest, saying that such agitations are aimed to create confusion among the people. Instead of addressing real governance issues, the regional party is trying to divert people’s attention, he claimed.