BJP putting pressure on regional parties to garner numbers in Rajya Sabha: D Raja

Talking to reporters here, Raja said the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD had succumbed to the pressure tactics of the the BJP and offered one Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP even though they have the requisite numbers in the Assembly to send all the Rajya Sabha candidates.

He alleged that BJD supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik had a secret understanding with the BJP during the latter’s first term at the Centre and also during the last election.

Naveen, who has been all along maintaining that his party will maintain equi-distance from both the BJP and the Congress, has exposed himself by handing over one Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP.

The Chief Minister should clarify to the people of Odisha as to why he supported the BJP candidate for Rajya Sabha when the BJD had the numbers to send all the three Rajya Sabha candidates.

The Odisha CM, Raja alleged, flew to Delhi to support the 'One nation, one election' proposal which he said will give rise to the demolition of federal structure in the country.

The left parties, he said, are opposed to the idea of 'One nation, one election' floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP, he further alleged, is trying to cause split in the regional parties to push its agenda and unleashing the threat of CBI probe and ED probe to put pressure on the regional parties.

On BJP president and Union home minister Amit Shah’s provocative speech in Jammu and Kashmir , Raja said the BJP should clarify its stand as to what it wanted to do in Jammu and Kashmir.

The CPI leader accused RSS of propagating Hinduvta agenda and Presidential form of the government in the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he alleged had miserably failed to safeguard India’s interest in the G20 Summit.

The Prime Minister, Raja said, could not protect country’s economy from sanctions imposed on purchasing missile technology from Russia or oil from Iran.