By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:The concerns expressed by Odisha Opposition Leader Naveen Patnaik in a letter to the state MPs yesterday regarding the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill seem to be just fear mongering. Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan, in a reaction on social media platform ‘X’, said that such a response is not befitting from an experienced politician like him.
Shri Pradhan mentioned that the claim that the political and economic interests of Odisha will be undermined if this bill is passed is completely false. One should have faith in the Constitution of India and the Prime Minister of the country, Shri Narendra Modi and the Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah. The Home Minister has clearly stated in Parliament that the rights of any state in the country will not be undermined and the rights of Odisha will not be affected by this. There is no truth in the information provided in your letter that after the new delimitation or ‘de-limitation’ process, Odisha’s representation in the Lok Sabha will decrease from 3.9% to 3.4%. Odisha’s representation is certain to increase, there is no question of reduction. The people of the state should not be scared by giving such false and misleading information. Everything will become clear in due time, we just need to wait patiently.
Opposition leader Shri Patnaik and his party BJD’s support for the ‘Nari Shakti Bandhan Act’ is welcome, but we should all support it with an open heart. Odisha has always been a priority under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule. This amendment bill is a historic step not only for Odisha, but also for empowering women across India. Instead of making this issue a controversy, the overall development of the country should be given priority. Shri Pradhan expressed the hope that we should all give priority to the interests of the country over political gains by protecting the dignity of the Constitution.
