Bhubaneswar: The controversy involving Odia singer Humane Sagar has now got a new twist. Actor Manoj Mishra has made an attempt to give a different colour to the issue. Notably, a complaint was lodged with the police against Humane and Ruku Suna seeking action against the two for allegedly distorting a bhajan of Lord Jagannath. People from different spheres have mounted a scathing attack on both the singers. A call was also given to unfollow the two.
However, Manoj Mishra seemed to be trying to add fuel to the fire by giving a coastal and western Odisha angle. In social media posts, he alleged that western Odisha is being deliberately targeted.
Western Odisha Colour
Humane and Ruku Suna got embroiled in a major controversy for allegedly distorting Lord Jgannath’s bhajan. As per the complaint lodged at the Capital police station in Bhubaneswar, both the singers were seen in a video distorting a bhajan. Reportedly, in the video, it was seen that the two singers used vulgar lyrics in place of the original lyrics of Lord Jagannath Bhajan while the tune of the original song was imitated. Also, the two were seen laughing and having fun while singing the questionable version of the original song. It was alleged that the famous hymn of Lord Jagannath was mocked which hurt religious sentiments.
However, Manoj Mishra appeared to have added more fuel to the fire by linking the issue with western Odisha. In social media posts, he claimed that the singers are being targeted because of western Odisha background. He also posted two videos of Papu Pom Pom and Kuna Tripathy and claimed that a famous bhajan of legendary Nimain Harichandan was copied and presented in a distorted manner. He further claimed that Papu Pom Pom escaped the wrath of critics as he does not hail from western Odisha. Otherwise, he would have met the same fate as Humane Sagar and Ruku Suna, Mishra claimed.
Coastal-Western Row
Besides raising Papu Pom Pom song, Manoj Mishra has also posted a video of Kuna Tripathy in which a song is presented in Harichandan’s bhajan style. While some people have supported such posts of Mishra, many others have mounted sharp attack on the actor accusing him of trying to trigger a major controversy and inciting regional feelings.
Humane Sagar Controversy
At a time when the stage was set for the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, a 26-second video of Humane Sagar and Ruku Suna went viral. Both the singers were seen distorting a bhajan of Lord Jagannath and making fun of it. A complaint was also lodged against the duo at the Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar seeking action against the singers. They were accused of hurting the sentiments of lakhs of devotees.
The issue was also raised in various social media platforms. Under attack from many quarters, Ruku Suna later released a video and tendered an apology. While efforts were being made to put an end to the controversy, Manoj Mishra has now given a new twist by raising regional topic. Earlier also the actor had raised the same issue by alleging that people from western Odisha were being victimised while those in coastal region were left unaffected. Observers claimed that the actor is trying to create a divide between people belonging to coastal and western parts of the state.
