Bhubaneswar, Oct 19: BJP MLA Balgopal Mishra, who has been in the Centre of a controversy after his 'rath yatra' in western Orissa demanding creation of a separate Koshal state, today said the movement would continue till aspirations of the people of that area are fulfilled. The response was overwhelming but the yatra mainly aimed at sensitising people about the need for creation of the separate state, Mishra told reporters here.

"This movement will continue in a peaceful manner till the demand is fulfilled", he said, adding his party believed in the concept of smaller states. An embarrassed BJP had chosen to distance itself from Mishra's adventure by describing it as a programme taken up by the legislator in his personal capacity.

Asked whether his party leadership had spoken to him about the matter, Mishra replied in the negative while asserting that as far as he understood the BJP supported the idea of smaller states. Former BJP general secretary K N Govindacharya, during his visits here in the past, had stated clearly that the party would support any movement if it was launched to demand a separate state in western Orissa, Mishra claimed.

Bureau Report