BJD’s state-wide stir over Mahanadi, spl status on June 19

Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Friday announced that it would hold state-wide strike on June 19 over Mahanadi water dispute and Union Minister of State for External Affairs General V K Singh’s remarks on special category status to Odisha.
“The activists of the party’s youth and student wings will stage demonstrations at all district headquarters of the state to put pressure on the Centre to resolve the long-standing Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh governments. We are also demanding special category status for the state. The party also seeks an apology from V K Singh, who downplayed the demand by saying that the state had not registered development as desired,” a senior BJD leader said.
On Wednesday, Biju Yuva Janata Dal activists took out a bike rally in the state capital and burnt the effigy of the Union Minister to protest against his remarks on special category tag for the state.