Accusing the Central Government of undermining Odisha’s financial autonomy and mineral rights, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) organized a major protest rally outside Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.
Terming the recent amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act “anti-Odisha,” the party warned of an intense, state-wide agitation if the legislation is not immediately withdrawn.
During the demonstration, senior BJD leaders submitted a formal memorandum addressed to the President of India through the Governor of Odisha. The party also targeted the state’s ruling BJP government for its silence, demanding an emergency assembly session to address the issue.
The protest was launched under the direct guidance of BJD President and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik. Senior leaders emphasised that the amendments represent a deliberate plan to strip Odisha of its valuable mineral resources and transfer regulatory control to the Centre.
Patnaik previously labelled the passage of the MMDR Amendment Bill in Parliament a “black day” for the state. He noted that a 9-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had explicitly recognised the sovereign right of states to tax mineral-bearing lands. Under this judgment, Odisha was entitled to recover over Rs 1 lakh crore in past dues and generate an additional annual revenue of nearly Rs 12,000 crore. The new central amendment effectively overrides the apex court’s verdict, depriving the state of critical financial resources.
BJD leaders strongly criticised the state BJP government for failing to safeguard Odisha’s rights and failing to convene a special assembly session. Key party figures who led the rally included Senior Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra, Vice Presidents Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Sanjay Das Burma, Bhubaneswar District President Ashok Chandra Panda, Pranab Prakash Das, Pritiranjan Gharai, Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo, Pramila Mallik, Arun Kumar Sahoo, Pratap Jena, Byomakesh Ray, Devi Ranjan Tripathy, Sunil Mohanty, and Biswa Mallick.
