The ruling Biju Janata Dal on Sunday said it would take the issue of “anti-Orissa” attitude of the UPA government to all college campuses in the state seeking support of the students for waging a sustained battle to obtain the legitimate rights of Orissa.
Addressing a rally of the BJD youth wing here, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the UPA government was averse to Orissa’s development under a non-Congress government and hence creating all sorts of trouble preventing the industrialisation bid initiated by the state government.
“The Congress does not want development. It kept the tribals in darkness for ages and now also it wants them to rot in poverty and hunger as before. But, we will not tolerate it and fight for our rights,” Mr Patnaik said. He added that despite the Centre’s “non-cooperation” and “discriminatory” behaviour, Orissa would formulate its own socio-economic welfare measures for the people, especially the poor, besides undertaking infrastructure development activities. Revenue and disaster management minister Surya Narayan Patro accused the Congress of doing politics in the name of tribals.