Is Naveen secular, asks Samantaray

Stepping up his protest against the dramatic turn of events within the party ahead of the voting on Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Upper House of the Parliament, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray Saturday demanded party president Naveen Patnaik to clear the air over his secular credentials.

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"Naveen should open up and give a statement that he is still secular. This is because he often says every bone in his body is secular. He should also say our Parliamentary Party leader Sasmit (Patra) misunderstood him," Samantaray told Orissa POST.

He said the party's stand on the Bill will cast its shadow on minority votes. "Minority population is significantly higher in 28 coastal constituencies of the state. In some of these seats, the number of minority voters ranges between 30,000 and 40,000. The party is likely to lose these seats," Samantaray said.

He, however, chose not to blame Patra.