SC Ruling exposes BJP on Mahanadi issue: BJD

ONI Bureau: BJD’s Rajya Sabha MP and Spkesperson Pratap Deb lashed out at the BJP saying the party got exposed today as the Supreme Court directed the Centre to set up a Tribunal within a month to resolve inter-state water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh on the issue of Mahanadi.

“While BJD stands vindicated, the verdict exposed BJP’s anti-Odisha stand, double-speak and its support to Chhattisgarh,” he said, adding “while the BJD waged a lonely battle against Chhattisgarh over the last two years, BJP-led NDA Government offered tacit support to Chhattisgarh on this issue.

“CM Naveen Patnaik kept raising the issue with relevant people, including then Union Minister Uma Bharti and even proposed a Joint Expert Committee, which was rejected by Chhattisgarh CM Dr. Raman Singh. The CM even urged the PM to intervene, but in vain. Surprisingly, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s stand was not clear throughout the period. Rather, the Odisha BJP led by him kept attacking BJD and accused it of raising the issues for political gain,” he added.

“As neither the Centre/PM nor Chhattisgarh cooperated with us, BJD had no option but to move the Supreme Court with a 789-page document. We thank the Supreme Court for understanding the gravity of the situation and pulling up the Centre before directing it to set up a Tribunal within a month even though the BJP-led NDA Govt was not in its favour”, said Pratap Deb.

“The people of Odisha will never forget or forgive the betrayal by BJP on the issue of Mahanadi,” he said.