Kotia Dispute / Kotia Is an Integral Part of Odisha, Not an Inch of Land Will Be Given Away: BJP

Bhubaneswar, Oct 23: The Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday asserted that Kotia is an inseparable part of Odisha and that not “an inch” of the State's territory would be ceded to anyone.

Addressing a press conference at the party's State headquarters, BJP State general secretary Biranchi Narayan Tripathy said the protection of Kotia was a matter of Odisha’s identity and territorial integrity. He said the BJP government was prepared to work with all political parties on the issue and accused former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of attempting to derive political mileage by raising the matter through social media posts and letters.

Questions for BJD

Tripathy questioned the Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) record on Kotia during its 24 years in power. He said the previous government had announced in 2022 that a House Committee of the Odisha Assembly would visit Kotia under the Speaker's leadership, but no concrete steps were taken to carry forward the initiative.

Referring to local body elections conducted by the Andhra Pradesh administration in villages within the disputed Kotia region in February 2021, he alleged that the then BJD government had failed to prevent the exercise. He also criticised the then State government for allegedly limiting its response to legal proceedings.

The BJP leader further recalled that when then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Odisha in November 2021, Andhra officials were conducting activities in villages in the Kotia area. He questioned why the then State government and local administration did not take stronger measures at the time.

BJP's Position

Tripathy reiterated that Kotia was an integral part of Odisha and said the BJP government was committed to safeguarding the State’s territorial integrity. He maintained that the issue concerned Odisha’s identity and sovereignty and stressed that the government was willing to work with all political parties to protect the State's interests.

He also rejected allegations that the BJP government was remaining silent on the issue because of political considerations at the Centre, describing such claims as baseless.

Dharmendra Pradhan's Kotia Visit

Tripathy said BJP leaders had consistently raised issues concerning Kotia even when the party was in the Opposition. He referred to visits by then Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other BJP leaders to the area to understand local concerns and strengthen links between residents and Odisha.

He also highlighted infrastructure and welfare measures undertaken by the Centre, including road connectivity and telecommunications facilities in the region.

Development Initiatives in Kotia

Tripathy said the Odisha government had constituted a high-level committee under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari to address issues relating to Kotia.

He said Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, along with several Ministers, had visited the area and participated in local cultural events. The government, he added, has expanded electricity connectivity, promoted Odia-language education, implemented the Subhadra Yojana, facilitated housing assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and provided ration cards to residents.
Also Read: Odisha Committed to Permanent Resolution of Kotia Dispute, Says Minister Suresh Pujari

The BJP leader further said the State government had recently held a high-level review meeting involving senior officials, including the Revenue Minister, Home Secretary, Law Secretary, Advocate General, RDC and district administration, to formulate legal and administrative strategies concerning the issue.

Tripathy said the National Democratic Alliance enjoyed a clear majority in the Lok Sabha and dismissed allegations that Odisha's interests were being compromised because of political dependence on alliance partners at the Centre.

BJP State spokespersons Dilip Mallik and Sanjay Rath were also present at the press conference.