Bhubaneswar: Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will stage a protest in front of Lok Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on September 9 against the proposed amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2026.

Party leaders said the protest will begin at 10 am, following which a memorandum will be submitted to the President of India through the Lokpal.

The BJD has alleged the proposed amendment to the MMDR Act is part of a conspiracy to bring Odisha’s mineral resources and mineral-bearing land under the control of the Centre.

BJD Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra said the party would launch a statewide agitation against the amendment in the coming days.

The party said the movement would be intensified under the leadership of BJD supremo and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Notably, Patnaik had earlier urged the Centre to withdraw the MMDR Act amendment and convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue.

BJD leaders on Monday questioned why Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had failed to pay heed to Patnaik’s demands.

The party said the September 9 protest would mark the beginning of its agitation against the amendment and what it described as its implications for Odisha’s mineral resources.