Bhubaneswar, March 5 -- Bhubaneswar: The Odisha unit of BJP on Friday came down heavily on the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) by drawing an equation of its holding tax with the Jizya tax.

Jizya or jizyah is a per capita yearly taxation historically levied in the form of financial charge on permanent non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Islamic law.

Addressing a presser here, BJP leader Babu Singh alleged that imposing holding tax just like Jizya tax is a conspiracy of the BMC to force additional financial burden on the residents.

"The BMC has forced a major taxation on the citizens called holding tax. It is just like Jizya tax. We strongly condemn the tax system and demand its immediate withdrawal," Babu Singh said.

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