India News | Row over Canteen at BJD Headquarters, BJP Claims It's Illegal Restaurant

Bhubaneswar, Jan 13 (PTI) The ruling BJP on Monday alleged that a restaurant was operating illegally at the BJD's headquarters in Bhubaneswar.

Rejecting the allegation, the Naveen Patnaik-led party said the BJP should refrain from "cheap politics".

Also Read | Milkipur Assembly By-Election 2025: ‘Bypoll is Crucial, We Must Win’, Says Akhilesh Yadav to Samajwadi Party Leaders.

Addressing a press conference, BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan said the BJD was misusing the land provided to it by the government.

"While allotting the land, the government order clearly stated that the land will be used exclusively for the office purpose and the use shall not be changed without prior approval of the authority," Pradhan said.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Joins Lohri, Makar Sankranti, and Pongal Celebrations, Extends Warm Wishes to the Nation (See Pics and Video).

He claimed the BJD illegally "converted" the Sankha Bhawan into a restaurant.

"This is perhaps the first time that a party has constructed a restaurant on land allotted to it by the government for office purposes. This has led to speculation if BJD's funds have dried up after it lost power in the state," he asked.

The BJP leader urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to order an inquiry into the allegations.

Senior BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo said the BJP should concentrate on running the government instead of doing "cheap politics".

"When Sankha Bhawan was established, it had been clearly said that it was an office of people. Meetings are being held here almost every day. There is a canteen on the premises. Along with leaders, several people are coming here to have food. There are canteens in railway buildings and also in Parliament. I would also like to invite BJP leaders to have food at the canteen here," he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress said it was odd that a political party was running a restaurant.

"It should not be a practice," Congress leader Nishikant Mishra said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)