Bhubaneswar: Virtually backtracking from its earlier stance, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday said that the party will not support the Odisha bandh called by Congress and INDIA block on Thursday.
Senior BJD leader and party’s chief whip in the Assembly Pramila Mallik clarified that the regional outfit will not back the shutdown.
Her latest statement came around 30 minutes after she had reportedly said that the BJD would extend support to the bandh call given by Congress. The sudden change in the party’s position has raised questions over what prompted the reversal.
In her fresh statement minutes later, Mallik virtually took a U-turn. “We will not support tomorrow’s bandh. Did those who called the bandh ask us? We have only supported on the issue of SIR and CEC Gyanesh Kumar,” she said.
The former minister stated that BJD is not part of any alliance and continues to maintain equidistance from both BJP and Congress. “BJD is not in any front. We believe in the policy of equidistance,” Mallik said.
The contrasting statements within a short span have drawn attention to the BJD’s decision-making on the proposed shutdown. Mallik’s reversal has also triggered questions about the circumstances that led to the change in the party’s stand.
Taking a dig at BJD over the issue, senior Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja alleged that the regional party is a directionless outfit which has a habit of staying with BJP.
“This morning, they said they would support the Odisha bandh tomorrow and now they say they won’t do it. BJP’s pressure is on BJD .. a phone call came from Delhi, and they got scared. BJD is adopting a two-faced policy’”, he alleged.
It may be noted that the INDIA alliance and Congress have called for a statewide bandh tomorrow demanding removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over SIR issue and withdrawal of the MMDR Amendment Act.
There was speculation over BJD’s stand on the bandh. While coming out from Naveen Niwas sometime back, Mallik had told media that the party would support the bandh as it has already supported the INDIA bloc’s agitation against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi.