Bhubaneswar: The Odisha BJP on Tuesday hit back at BJD president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik over his demand for the release of Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, accusing him of politicising the issue and questioning his stand on national security and the revision of electoral rolls.
Patnaik had earlier called for an immediate review of the judicial custody of Ranka and Das, arguing that hoisting the National Flag, even in a prohibited area, should not warrant prolonged detention.
In a post on social media platform X, the former chief minister said the judiciary and the executive must intervene to ensure that the country’s youth do not lose faith in the rule of law and their constitutional rights.
Reacting to Patnaik’s remarks, the BJP questioned his position, pointing out that he had served as Odisha’s chief minister for 24 years before the BJD lost power in the state in 2024.
The saffron party accused Patnaik of supporting forces allegedly seeking a violent change of regime and described his intervention in the detention issue as an attempt to gain political mileage.
The BJP also targeted the previous BJD government over the alleged settlement of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Odisha, claiming that some had been allowed to register as voters. It further criticised Patnaik for opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In its post on X, the BJP said, “Your support for anarchists and foreign-funded anti-India forces wanting a Bangladeshi-style violent regime change is not surprising given who your own history of settling thousands of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into the state. You not only allowed them to become voters, and now you are also opposing the SIR process.”
The party maintained that national sovereignty and security should take precedence over political considerations and asserted that Odisha has a tradition of peace and respect for the country’s sovereignty.
