Bhubaneswar: A major controversy has erupted over BJP government’s decision to delink former chief minister Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary that falls on March 5 from Panchayati Raj Divas. The day has been celebrated as Panchayati Raj Divas since 1993 to honour the late leader’s contribution to the strengthening of panchayati Raj institutions.
However, the new BJP government of the state decided to celebrate Biju Babu’s anniversary but not as PR Divas because it argues that the national panchayati raj divas falls on April 24 and there should not be a clash between the two.
However, leaders of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which has been named after Biju Patnaik and is led by his son Naveen Patnaik, have slammed the Mohan Majhi government for delinking his anniversary from PR Divas celebration and described it as petty politics by the saffron party leaders.
The party has decided to organise state-wide protests over the issue on March 6. Congress, too, disapproved of Mohan Majhi-led government’s decision accusing it of disrespecting a towering leader like Biju Patnaik who was among one of the builders of modern Odisha. The BJP government has also scrapped the customary public holiday on March 5.
But it has sought to justify its decision on the ground that observance of March 5 as “Panchayati Raj Divas” in Odisha and celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24 was creating confusion. “To overcome this inconsistency at the national and state levels in the celebration of Panchayati Raj Day the state government has decided to no longer celebrate March 5 as Panchayati Raj Day in Odisha and will instead celebrate it on April 24,” a statement from the chief minister’s office said. However, the government has decided to celebrate March 5 as Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary.
The BJD criticized the move saying that the BJP, which was voted to power on the plank of Odia Asmita ( pride), has dishonoured one of the great sons of the state who was one of the authors of the three tier panchayati raj system in Odisha and was the first leader to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in these institutions. Later this quota was enhanced to 50 percent by Naveen Patnaik.
The BJD has described it as an attempt to erase the legacy of Biju Babu who was twice the chief minister of the state and was acceptable to leaders cutting across parties. “They think they can erase his legacy by doing this but they are wrong. Biju Babu will always remain in the hearts of the people of Odisha who will give this government a fitting reply in the next elections,” said a senior BJD leader.
Former chief minister and leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik, who ruled the state for 24 years before losing out to the BJP in the last elections, also targeted the government for delinking his father’s birth anniversary from PR Divas. “ They can’t take Biju Babu out of people’s hearts,” said Patnaik.
Even state Congress leaders decried the government’s move to delink Biju Babu’s birth anniversary from Panchayati raj day celebrations. “ Irrespective of which party we belong to, we cannot ignore the contribution of leaders like Biju Patnaik to the development of Odisha,” said a senior Congress leader. However, BJP leaders stoutly defended the government asserting that the move of the government was meant only to ensure that panchayati raj divas was celebrated in the entire country on the same day. “ There is no disrespect for Biju Babu involved in this. We will celebrate his anniversary in a grand manner,” said a BJP leader.
It may be mentioned here that a few months ago the BJP government renamed several schemes which were named after Biju Patnaik by the previous government. Critics say that this is being done to ensure that BJD does not take political mileage out of these schemes which have been rebranded.
