Patnaik reaffirms secular commitment, says BJD withdrew from BJP alliance after Kandhamal riots

AS resentment brews over the Waqf Bill and questions are raised about its secular credentials, BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday said his commitment to secularism remains steadfast and asserted that this commitment led him to sever ties with the NDA after the communal riots in Kandhamal.

- PBD BUREAU/PTI

Patnaik made this remark during a meeting with minority community leaders, who were accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Muzibulla Khan to express their dissatisfaction with the BJD’s role in the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

Khan, the lone Muslim MP in the Rajya Sabha, lodged a complaint against party MP Sasmit Patra, who allegedly defied the party’s decision by voting in favour of the Waqf Bill.

Patra, who is also the BJD leader in the Rajya Sabha, had informed MPs hours before the April 3 vote that they could vote according to their conscience, as there was no party whip in place.

This led to confusion among MPs and the public, resulting in MP Debashis Samantray abstaining from voting.

Over the past four days, several senior leaders have met with Patnaik, demanding action against Patra for allegedly defying the Parliamentarty Party’s decision to oppose the Bill.

BJD’s deputy leader in the Assembly, Prasanna Acharya, openly suggested that Patra would not have acted independently.

They hinted at the influence of Patnaik’s close aide, VK Pandian, who announced his retirement from active politics following the BJD’s defeat in the 2024 General and Odisha Assembly elections.

While Patra is currently on a foreign tour and is yet to clarify who instructed him to change the party’s stance, Khan’s supporters raised slogans against Pandian after meeting Patnaik.