Party divided between pro and anti-Pandian factions

The internal rift within the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) escalated dramatically on Monday as party MP Muzibulla Khan, accompanied by supporters, met Naveen Patnaik here seeking clarification on the party's sudden shift in stance on the Waqf Bill in the Rajya Sabha—from opposition to a call for a conscience vote.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Tensions ran high as slogans were raised at Naveen Nivas, the residence of the party president, targeting V.K. Pandian and MP Sasmit Patra. Though Pandian has officially resigned from the party, agitated Muslim community leaders blamed him for manipulating decisions behind the scenes and misleading Patnaik.

Suddenly four BJD Rajya Sabha MPs—Manas Mangaraj, Sulata Deo, S Khuntia and Niranjan Bisi—broke their silence and criticized both Khan and fellow MP Debasis Samantaray. Through individual media statements and tweets, they accused the Samantaray of breaching party discipline and unfairly targeting a person who had already stepped down. They sprung up in defence of Sasmit Patra.