Bhubaneswar: Rift within the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has further widened to the fore as senior leaders slammed party MP Sasmit Patra and demanded action against him for supporting the controversial Waqf Bill in Parliament.
Senior BJD leader and former Minister Pratap Jena wrote to party president Naveen Patnaik demanding action against the Rajya Sabha member for going against the party stand by voting in support of the Waqf Bill in the upper House of Parliament.
Voicing displeasure over Patra’s action, Jena termed the move ‘anti-party’ and ‘shocking.’ He further mentioned that Patra’s recent social media posts reflect a mindset that contradicts the BJD’s ideological position.
Raising suspicion about a deeper conspiracy behind the Rajya Sabha member’s behaviour, Jena demanded a thorough inquiry into the matter. “We must investigate who is behind this conspiracy,” he said.
Stating that BJD had taken a stand against the Waqf Bill, Jena said Sasmit’s sudden shift in position is questionable.
The senior leader urged the party to take immediate disciplinary action against Patra, stating, “Those involved in this conspiracy must be held accountable.”
Attacking Patra in same vein, senior BJD leader and MLA Ganeswar Behera held him responsible for the turmoil in the regional party.
Accusing Sasmit Patra of having acted unilaterally, he said the Rajya Sabha member went against the collective interest of the party. “What happened in the Parliament was damaging for BJD.
Sasmit must take full responsibility for this. Without proper authorisation, he supported a sensitive bill that contradicts our party’s stand. He must tender an apology,” Behera told reporters.
He said Patra had stated during the discussion on the Bill that they would oppose and vote against it; but within 48 hours he changed his stand. “It was his own decision, not the decision of the party. This amounts to gross indiscipline as it has put the BJD in trouble,” the BJD legislator said.
