Bhubaneswar, Mar 25: The BJP has ridiculed the BJD for its reservation demand for backward classes, saying the opposition party failed to do any development work for the category in its 24 years of rule and is only shedding crocodile tears now.

The BJD staged a symbolic protest by obstructing the entry of ruling BJP MLAs in the Assembly premises today. They termed the State government as anti-tribal and anti-backward class.

However, the BJP reacted to the BJD move sharply, reminding it of its failure in 24 years of rule. The BJP alleged that the BJD cunningly took away the rights of OBC people by cutting reservations in the last pachayat and urban local body (ULB) elections.

"Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had written several letters to the then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the rights of the OBCs. But no action had been taken. About 54 percent of the state's population belongs to backward classes. There should be 27 percent reservation for OBCs in government jobs and higher education. The Supreme Court has ruled that reservations can be more than 50 percent in special cases. While many states have adopted such a law, the Naveen Patnaik government didn't legislate in this regard. Now, the BJD, after being ousted from power, is shedding crocodile tears," said Tankadhar Tripathy.

Tankadhar slammed the previous government for filing a leave petition but sitting over that.

"The then BJD government sat silent after filing a leave petition in the Supreme Court in 2017. It didn't even engage a lawyer," said Tankadhar Tripathy.

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