The Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has lodged strong protest with party high command against the Union minister Shasi Tharoor’s recent remarks on Biju Janata Dal and chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
The Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has lodged strong protest with party high command against the Union minister Shasi Tharoor’s recent remarks on Biju Janata Dal and chief minister Naveen Patnaik. Mr Tharoor, in an interview with the local television channel on Friday, said the Central ministers had “high level of respect for Naveen Patnaik for leading Orissa.” He also went to say that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) headed by Naveen Patnaik and the Congress had no ideological differences and announced that the doors of the Congress was open for the BJD for a possible tie-up. The Union minister’s remark came as a shocking surprise to the state Congress leaders who consider Naveen as their main political enemy. Similarly, the BJD considers the Congress as its main rival and has successfully kept the party away from power for over 16 years now. “The remarks by Mr Tharoor may be his personal view. He has no authority to speak about the party matters in Orissa. We have already lodged our protest with the high command and other concerned AICC leaders,” Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena told reporters here on Monday.
