In a bid to create pressure on center for the demand for special package for the state, Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik has alleged that center has been ignoring the legitimate demands of the state.
Addressing a Swabhiman Rally in New Delhi, Patnaik said that he has over one crore signatures collected by the party in support of this campaign will be submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee with a memorandum.
He said, "We are having a rally, a public meeting for our long standing demand for special category status. We have collected more than one crore signatures of the people of Odisha demanding special category status.”
He further said that each signature touches almost every household in Odisha and we should be visiting the Rashtrapati, the President of India, this evening with the signatures and the memorandum with our demand for special category status.
It is noted that Patnaik had earlier said his resource-rich state deserved an increase in the minerals royalty and the Centre, due to 'political reasons', had ignored the legitimate demands of the state.
Recently he has created a storm in the national politics by commenting on the need of a third front in the national politics. The role of his counter part from Bihar, Nitish kumar and Mamata Banarjee from West Bengal is going to be very crucial in the coming election in 2014.
(With inputs from ANI)
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