Odisha BJP launches two-month-long programme to woo OBCs
BHUBANESWAR: The woo OBC community people in Odisha the opposition BJP on Thursday launched a two-month long campaign in the state to make the people of the community aware of their constitutional rights and how they were being ”neglected” by both BJD and Congress.
Odisha BJP OBC Cell president Surath Biswal along with other leaders joined the party’s ‘Gaon Gaon Chalo…Ghar Ghar Chalo’ programme at Ersama and Japa gram panchayats.
Biswal and other leaders told the people how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly insulted the OBCs by projecting Modi’s in a ”wrong manner”.
ଓବିସି ବର୍ଗଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ବିଜେଡି ସରକାରଙ୍କ ଉଦାସୀନତା ଓ ବୈମାତୃକ ମନୋଭାବ ବିରୋଧରେ ବିଜେପି ଓବିସି ମୋର୍ଚ୍ଚା ତରଫରୁ ରାଜ୍ୟବ୍ୟାପୀ “ଗାଁ ଗାଁ ଚାଲ; ଘର ଘର ଚାଲ” ଅଭିଯାନ ଆରମ୍ଭ ହୋଇଛି । ଏହି ଅବସରରେ ମୋର୍ଚ୍ଚାର ପଦାଧିକାରୀମାନେ ରାଜ୍ୟର ବିଭିନ୍ନ ପଞ୍ଚାୟତର ଗାଁ ଗାଁ ବୁଲି ପ୍ରଚାର କରିବା ସହ ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ ସଚେତନ କରାଇଥିଲେ । pic.twitter.com/d6YlDu6AOK
— BJP Odisha (@BJP4Odisha) April 7, 2023
The BJP leaders in different villages also slammed the state’s BJD government headed by Naveen Patnaik and how his 23 years dispensation ”denied” constitutional rights to OBCs. ”Though BJD claims to be working to promote OBCs, actually they have denied rights to OBC students from availing reservation in jobs and education,” Biswal said.
He said that though the BJP’s nationwide ‘Gaon Gaon Chalo, Ghar Ghar Chalo’ programme will continue till April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, in other parts of the country, it has been extended for two months in Odisha.
Biswal also criticised the state government for withdrawing the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (Amendment) Bill, 2023 on the last day of the recently concluded budget session of the assembly.
He claimed that 54 per cent of Odisha’s population is OBC, but the state’s BJD government has ”deprived” them from benefits availed by other communities.
”The state government was never interested in OBC upliftment,” he alleged.
Reports of BJP leaders joining the programme was received from Cuttack, Jajpur, Berhampur and other parts of the state.
Meanwhile, the state government was preparing for starting the OBC survey from May 1 for which officials are being trained on the modalities of the enumeration of the community. The Anganwadi workers and teachers will undertake the offline survey which will mainly be conducted in rural areas.
The survey will be carried out by the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes in all the 314 blocks and 114 urban local bodies of the state. The survey will continue till May 20, while a special drive will be launched from May 21 to 27 for the survey, official sources said.
Odisha is only the second state after Bihar to conduct such an OBC survey.
The Odisha government’s survey ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and state Assembly, has evoked strong criticism from the Opposition parties in the state.
Source: Press Trust of India
