Patnaik asks party workers to counter misinformation campaign

Setting the tone for the 2024 general elections, ruling BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday called upon the party rank and file to effectively counter the misinformation campaign by opposition political parties as they do not have any issue to target the state government.

Patnaik said this while presiding over the Biju Janata Dal’s 80-member state executive meeting at ‘Sankha Bhavan’, the regional party’s state headquarters here. The meeting was held after a gap of three years.

“The transformation of Odisha has come as a big shock for opposition parties and they do not have any issue to raise against the state government,” Patnaik said.

He said, “They therefore take shelter of lies and launch misinformation campaign against the BJD government. We have to effectively counter them from the grassroots level”.

Patnaik, who has been the president of the regional party since its inception, also asked party leaders and workers to counter the opposition parties “misinformation” campaign through social media. This apart, he urged the party members to take the message of development to each household.

He said people know that a thousand lies do not make a truth. “Truth will prevail, development will win and we will create a new Odisha and an empowered Odisha,” the state’s five-time chief minister said in his address to party men and women.

Appealing party men and women to rededicate themselves to the service of Odisha people, Patnaik said, “Many people say BJD is a successful regional party. But for me, BJD is most successful socio-economic movement in the country,” Patnaik said, adding that his party believes and works for the women empowerment.

A total of 32 proposals including one to defer the party’s organisational election for a year were passed in the state executive meeting.

Though the regional party was not happy over the manner in which the Centre handled certain Odisha related issues, the BJD state executive did not take any aggressive stand against the BJP, but decided to request the central government to take required measures to overcome unpleasant situation.

The meeting resolved that the party would continue to work towards fulfillment of Odisha’s genuine demand for getting the Special Category State Status or the Special Focus State.

“The BJD state executive meeting also expressed its displeasure over the Centre’s silence on the Mahanadi water dispute with neighbouring Chhattisgarh and also the Pollavaram project in Andhra Pradesh. The party will continue to demand fulfill the state’s demand over the two issues,” an official release said.

On coal royalty, cess, railway and national highway projects and issue of inflation, the BJD meeting resolved that the Centre would be requested to take required steps. These apart, the BJD will also raise the issues relating to its demands like waiver of GST on Kendu leaves, which adversely affect lakhs of poor people, particularly the tribals, dalits and women in the state.

The regional party has been demanding complete waiver of 18 per cent GST on Kendu leaf trade.