Congress to intensify demand for Naveen Patnaik's resignation

In a bid to intensify its demand for resignation of Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik over Vedanta University controversy, Congress today announced its plan to stage a demonstration and gherao the state assembly building here on December 14.

"It is unfortunate that Patnaik is defending land acquisition for Vedanta University instead of resigning after Orissa high court declared the entire process illegal," Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President KP Singhdeo said at a party meeting in Bhubaneswar.

By clinging on to his post, the chief minister is showing little respect towards the November 16 verdict of the high court which has ordered return of all land acquired for the proposed university along Konark-Puri marine drive to the original land owners, he said.

Since the chief minister has termed the demand for his resignation as unjustified, Congress workers would stage a demonstration and gherao the assembly building here, he said.

Congress workers have been staging demonstrations in different districts seeking Patnaik's resignation for illegalities committed for land acquisition for the proposed world class university and the campaign would be intensified, he said.