As the state government led by Mohan Charan Majhi marks one year in office, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) organised an innovative protest at Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar to demonstrate the failures of the government over the past year.
The event was attended primarily by BJD MLAs, MPs, candidates for MLA and MP positions, and other party leaders.
The protest emphasised the unfulfilled promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and showcased these failures through handwritten placards. Participants creatively portrayed the deteriorating law and order situation, particularly the alarming rise in crimes against women and sexual offences.
Other issues highlighted included the reduction in central grants, neglect by the Centre regarding critical matters such as Polavaram, Kotia, Mahanadi, and the Coastal Highway, as well as sporadic price increases for essential commodities. Additional concerns included mismanagement at the Jagannath Temple, neglect of the interests of OBC, ST, and SC communities, attacks on Odia identity, and the struggles faced by beneficiaries of the Ayushman scheme in accessing BSKY benefits.
While the government has failed across these sectors over the past year, the placards pointed out that only superficial changes—namely alterations in names and colours—have been made, leading to the characterisation of the government as a “name-change and colour-change government.” The local public showed support for this unique protest, engaging with the slogans on the placards as they passed by.
At the protest site, crowds gathered, and tensions flared briefly when police attempted to remove BJD leaders who were staging a dharna (sit-in). However, despite police efforts, the dharna continued at the designated location.
Prominent party leaders present at the dharna included Debi Prasad Mishra, Santrupt Misra, Pranab Prakash Das, Dr. Arun Kumar Sahu, Shri Sanjay Dasburma, Pratap Jena, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Pratap Deb, Pramila Mallik, Snehangini Chhuria, Tukuni Sahu, Rajashree Mallik, Pranab Balabantaray, Byomakesh Ray, Devi Ranjan Tripathy, Subashish Khuntia, Sulata Deo, Sushant Rout, Sudam Marndi, Ramesh Behera, Dhruba Charan Sahoo, Sarmistha Sethi, Gautam Buddha Das, Sarada Jena, Chandrasekhar Sahu, Preetiranjan Ghadai, Bhrugu Baxipatra, Dr. Lekhashri Samantsinghar, Rudra Pratap Maharathy, Manmath Routaray, and many other active leaders.
BJD’s Digital Strategy to Counter BJP’s Narrative
In a crucial social media workshop, BJD’s MPs, MLAs, and party leaders convened at Shankha Bhavan to discuss leveraging digital platforms for grassroots mobilisation.
The event emphasised using social media strategically to counter misinformation and present accurate facts about governance and policy decisions.
Dr. Amar Patnaik outlined key insights on how social media can amplify organisational reach, ensuring that citizens receive transparent updates.
Under party Supremo Naveen Patnaik’s directive, BJD leaders were urged to maximise digital engagement, particularly in addressing concerns over the BJP-led government’s policies in Odisha.
