India, March 5 -- Former Odisha chief minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state for not celebrating March 5 as Panchayati Raj Diwas, the birthday of veteran leader Biju Patnaik.

Alleging that the decision was an attempt to erase the legacy of his father, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief also questioned the rationale behind changing a tradition that has been followed for over 30 years.

"For more than three decades, Odisha has celebrated Panchayati Raj Diwas on March 5. What is the reason for this decision? You can change the names of awards, deface his statues and alter the dates, but you cannot take away the love and affection that people have for Biju Babu. He liv...