The 24th Eastern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah got under way here on Friday.
Congress workers staged a protest at Master Canteen Square demanding resignation of Mr. Shah over communal violence in New Delhi. The protestors burnt Mr. Shah in effigy.
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“The perpetrators of Gujarat riots are now governing the country. The Home Minister should immediately resign from his post for his inability to contain the violence and instigation of violence by his party leaders. Moreover, it is disturbing to note that the judge who passed a critical order was transferred overnight,” said Rasmi Mohapatra, a Congress leader.
Earlier Mr. Shah arrived in Bhubaneswar with hundreds of BJP workers welcoming him at Biju Patnaik International Airport here.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Jharkhand Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon, who represented CM Hemant Soren, are participating in the meet.
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Issues such as inter-state water dispute, power transmission, coal royalty, forest clearance for railway and other infrastructure projects and extension of banking and telecom services in rural pockets are in agenda of the discussion.
Speaking at the council, Mr. Patnaik, who is vice-chairman of the council, demanded a special economic package for speeding up infrastructural development of the region.
“Our regions have some of the largest scheduled areas of the country. I reiterate my demand for inclusion of Ho, Bhumij and Mundari languages in the Eighth Schedule of Constitution,” he said.
Mr. Shah is scheduled to attend a pro-Citizen (Amendment) Act public meeting later in the afternoon.
