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 t
he 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.