BJD leaders decry Naveen’s criticism

Two senior leaders of the BJD Friday disapproved of party president Naveen Patnaik's statement criticising them for holding a meeting in a hotel, and not in the regional outfit's office, two days ago.

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Fourtime MLA Prafulla Mallik and three-term legislator Nrushingha Sahu, both in their 70s, asserted that holding a ‘casual get-together’ in a hotel is not an anti-party activity and none can dictate where one person would meet another.

Altogether 13 senior leaders including Mallik and Sahu had met at a hotel Wednesday which was seen as ‘groupism’ within the party which lost power to BJP in June 2024 after ruling Odisha since 2000.

Patnaik, a former chief minister, had Wednesday said, “I would like to state here that I disapprove of any large meetings in hotels held by party members, They have the party office Sankha Bhawan which is a large building where they've been told to hold their meetings and they should do so.”

Malik, however, said he cannot accept what Patnaik said.