Bhubaneswar, April 9: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday evening finally addressed the controversy surrounding the WAQF bill voting and the internal discord that triggered in the party. Breaking his silence, Patnaik came out in defense of former bureaucrat and close aide VK Pandian, criticizing leaders who have publicly targeted him over the issue.
Patnaik firmly stated that VK Pandian had officially disassociated from the BJD nearly 10 months ago and no longer has any involvement in the party's functioning.
"Pandian has done commendable work for the party in the past, but he is not part of our organizational affairs anymore," Patnaik said.
He further condemned the ongoing criticism aimed at Pandian, terming such public attacks as "unacceptable."
In the same breath, the BJD chief also clarified that former MLA Pravat Tripathy is not a member of the party and holds no position or influence within BJD's current structure. He is expelled from the party due to his involvement in the Chit Fund case and spent quite some time in jail, he said.
With his statement, Patnaik aimed to draw a line under the ongoing debate and urged party members to refrain from unwarranted personal attacks that risk damaging the party’s unity.
