India News | Patnaik Reaffirms Secular Commitment, Says BJD Withdrew from BJP Alliance After Kandhamal Riots
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. As resentment brews over the party's shift in stance on the Waqf Bill and questions are raised about its secular credentials, BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday said his commitment to secularism remains steadfast and asserted that this commitment led him to sever ties with the NDA after the communal riots in Kandhamal.
Bhubaneswar, Apr 7 (PTI) As resentment brews over the party's shift in stance on the Waqf Bill and questions are raised about its secular credentials, BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday said his commitment to secularism remains steadfast and asserted that this commitment led him to sever ties with the NDA after the communal riots in Kandhamal.
Patnaik made this remark during a meeting with minority community leaders, who were accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Muzibulla Khan to express their dissatisfaction with the BJD's role in the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Khan, the lone Muslim MP in the Rajya Sabha, lodged a complaint against party MP Sasmit Patra, who allegedly defied the party's decision by voting in favour of the Waqf Bill.
Patra, who also the BJD leader in the Rajya Sabha, had informed MPs hours before the April 3 vote that they could vote according to their conscience, as there was no party whip in place.
This led to confusion among MPs and the public, resulting in MP Debashis Samantray abstaining from voting.
Over the past four days, several senior leaders have met with Patnaik, demanding action against Patra for allegedly defying the Parliamentary Party's decision to oppose the Bill.
BJD's deputy leader in the Assembly, Prasanna Acharya, openly suggested that Patra would not have acted independently.
They hinted at the influence of Patnaik's close aide, VK Pandian, who announced his retirement from active politics following the BJD's defeat in the 2024 General and Odisha Assembly elections.
While Patra is currently on a foreign tour and is yet to clarify who instructed him to change the party's stance, Khan's supporters raised slogans against Pandian after meeting Patnaik.
The chant "Pandian Go Back" echoed through Naveen Niwas, with the group blaming former IAS officer for the shift in the BJD's position.
Pandian was unavailable for comment on the matter.
During his meeting with minority community representatives, Patnaik assured them that necessary action would be taken regarding the BJD's change of stance on the Waqf Bill.
"Whatever needs to be done will be done," Patnaik said, reiterating that the BJD is a secular party committed to standing by the minority community.
Patnaik also reminded the gathering that the BJD had withdrawn from the BJP-led NDA alliance in 2009 following the communal violence in Kandhamal, which resulted in the deaths of 38 people and the destruction of hundreds of homes.
He reaffirmed the party's commitment to advocating for the interests of the minority community.
During the meeting, Khan demanded action against Patra, accusing him of altering the BJD's official decision to vote against the Waqf Bill.
Khan also criticised Patra for exhibiting "double standards." "Those who voted in support of the Waqf Bill should join the BJP. There is no place for double-standard individuals in the BJD," Khan later told reporters.
Khan claimed that he was not consulted before Patra announced the change in the BJD's decision.
"I tried to contact Patra, but he didn't answer my calls. Although the party allowed me to speak on the Waqf Bill in the Rajya Sabha, I was kept in the dark regarding the change in the decision," he said.
He added, "The BJD president had previously told me to oppose the Bill, but Patra's message on X conveyed an entirely different direction."
"This is not all. He (Patra) voted in support of the Waqf Bill and also disclosed his vote to the media. This is unfortunate and has hurt us all, affecting the party's image. The BJD is a secular party. If he (Patra) wants to support the BJP, he should join that party. Who told him to remain in the BJD and maintain double standards?" Khan told reporters at the airport.
Khan said Patra's behaviour, particularly on sensitive issues like the Waqf Bill, sends the wrong message. The BJD currently has seven Rajya Sabha MPs.
Meanwhile, the war of words continues between supporters of VK Pandian and those opposed to him.
MP Debashis Samantray accused Pandian of striking a deal with the BJP over the Waqf Bill vote and blamed him for the BJD's defeat in last year's elections.
However, four other Rajya Sabha MPs—Manas Mangaraj, Subhasish Khuntia, Niranjan Bisi and Sulata Deo—defended the former bureaucrat.
Taking to his X, Mangaraj said, "It's very unfortunate to see that my Rajya Sabha colleague Shri Debasish Samantray has attacked Shri VK Pandian over the Waqf Bill decision, despite the fact that the latter retired from politics 10 months ago and is not participating in any meetings or political activities."
He said all decisions in the BJD are made by the party president, Naveen Patnaik.
"If we have any grievances or concerns, it's always appropriate to raise them on party forums. Many senior leaders have done so in recent days. Instead of following this process, Samantray has gone to the media to speak against someone who is no longer in party politics, showing an ulterior motive influenced by vested interests."
Cuttack Mayor Subhas Sigh also criticised Debasish Samantray for taking Pandian's name without reason. PTI AAM
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)