As the row over granting State anthem status to “Bande Utkala Janani” continues, labour and Energy Minister Susant Singh’s statement that it should be “Bande Odisha Janani” was criticised by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan here on Friday.
“Utkala and Kalinga are cultural names of Odisha. It’s unfortunate for a Minister of the State to create a controversy about it just for getting votes (in western Odisha). Should we be doing politics over such matters of cultural significanceIJ” Pradhan questioned.
BJD leader and former Minister Damodar Rout also lashed out at Singh over the issue. “A controversial statement by any Minister on this sensitive issue would never be tolerated. The Minister is trying to divide the State on regional lines. The people of Odisha will give him a befitting reply.” Rout told mediapersons here.
He further said it has become a trend among some Ministers to issue irresponsible and shocking statements on matters on which they have no knowledge. “The party leadership should keep a watch on these Ministers,” he said.
He alleged that Singh was one of the BJD leaders who was holding parley with late Pyari Mohan Mohapatra to dethrone Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
“Along with Singh, some other party MlAs were hiding in the Swosti hotel in Bhubaneswar during a secret meeting with Pyari Mahapatra. After I came to know about it, I informed my colleague Prasanna Acharya, on whose instruction Singh came out of the hotel,” he said.
Singh has no knowledge on Odisha politics. “He has won the election only in the name of Naveen Patnaik,” added Rout.
