BJD says it does not favour demand for PM resignation

The ruling party in Odisha was also not in favour of the demand to cancel all coal block allocations as was being demanded by Left and some other parties which held a dharna in Parliament House complex to demand a debate on the matter.

"We are not saying the Prime Minister should resign. We want a discussion on his statement which is contradictory. The statement has raised more questions than resolving them. Only a discussion can throw light on the incongruities that have happened (on the coal block allocation issue) since 1993," BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab told reporters here.

He said his party had given a notice in Lok Sabha for a special discussion on the Prime Minister's statement. The debate was listed on August 28 but could not be taken up as the House was adjourned following BJP uproar over the coal block issue.

Asked why they did not join the dharna, he said, "We do not want blanket cancellation of all coal blocks that have been allocated. Our government has given some blocks to the private sector which would give value addition to Odisha."

Apart from these, the Centre had given some more coal blocks to certain other private parties which the BJD government had not recommended, he said. "We have already sought a review of these allocations," Mahtab said.

To a question whether they were with opposition NDA or with UPA, he quipped, "We are with Odisha".