Bhubaneswar, Nov 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amid escalating tensions over the disputed Kotia region in Odisha’s Koraput district, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday wrote another letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging him to immediately take up the matter with the Union Government and the Andhra Pradesh Government at the highest level to safeguard the state’s territorial integrity.
In a letter to the CM, Patnaik said that, following his earlier letter on Kotia dated October 19 and the Chief Minister’s reply dated October 27, the situation on the ground has further deteriorated, with reports of growing tension and confrontation between officials of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
“It is particularly concerning that Andhra Pradesh is proceeding with its elections in Kotia tomorrow, despite its implications for Odisha. In view of the prevailing tension and the imminent elections, I urge you to take up the matter with the Union Government and the Government of Andhra Pradesh at the highest level,” the BJD supremo said.
He noted that since both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are governed by parties belonging to the NDA, led by the BJP, urgent steps must be taken to protect Odisha's territorial integrity, as promised in the BJP's 2024 election manifesto.
“As the Chief Minister of Odisha, it is your moral responsibility to ensure that the State's legitimate interests are firmly protected and the situation on the ground is not allowed to escalate any further. I hope the BJP leadership will honour its commitment to the people of Odisha and walk the talk on the Kotia issue, as guaranteed in its 2024 election manifesto,” Patnaik noted.
Meanwhile, the state government is on high alert following scuffles and heated confrontations between the police and officials of both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh at three checkpoints in the disputed region on Tuesday.
Reiterating that the Kotia region is an integral part of Odisha, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that local officials and police personnel are leading the effort from the front to thwart the neighbouring state’s bid to conduct local body elections in the disputed region. The state government has deployed 16 platoons of police force in the region to check any forceful entry by Andhra Pradesh officials in the region to hold the elections.
“The administration will be present, the police will be present, political parties will be there, social activists will be there, and people who love Odisha will fight this battle,” said Pujari.
Source: IANS
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