Bande Utkal Janani Row: Dama Rout Slams Energy Minister

Bhubaneswar: Amid the row over state song status to Bande Utkal Janani, senior BJD leader Damodar Rout on Friday came down heavily on Energy minister and Bhatli MLA Susanta Singh for his controversial statement on this issue.

“Controversial statement by any minister on this sensitive issue will never be tolerated. The minister is trying to divide the state on regional lines by raking it up. The people of Odisha will give him a befitting reply.” Rout told media persons here.

Expressing grave concern, the BJD leader said it has become a trend among some ministers, who go about giving irresponsible and outrageous statements on issues on which they have no knowledge. “They should mend their behaviour and be careful while speaking to the media. The party leadership should keep tabs on these ministers,” he said.

Damodar alleged that Singh was one of the BJD members, who were in a secret parley with Late Pyari Mohan Mohapatra to unseat the chief minister.

“Along with Singh, some other party MLAs were hiding in Swosti Hotel in Bhubaneswar during a secret meeting with Pyari. After I came to know about it, I informed my colleague Prasanna Acharya (now BJD Rajya Sabha member) under whose instruction Singh came out of the hotel,” he added.

Lashing out at Singh, Rout said the former has no knowledge on Odisha politics. “He has won the election only in the name of Naveen Patnaik,” he maintained.

Asked to comment on the issue, Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya said he respects Dama Babu as his elder brother and loves Susanta Singh as his younger brother. “Should I give a counter opinion on somebody’s opinion?” Acharya asked.

The Energy minister on June 26 had told the media that people in most places in western Odisha have suggested that the song will be acceptable if the word ‘Utkal’ is replaced with ‘Odisha’. Instead of Bande Utkal Janani, it should be ‘Bande Odisha  Janani’.

“I don’t know what decision the state government is going to take on this matter. But it would be better if it considers the sentiments of the people of western Odisha,” Singh had pointed out.

In support of the minister, activists of the western Odisha Yuva Manch had taken out a rally in the state capital on Thursday.

Besides, members of the Koshala State Coordination Committee had staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Balangir district collector and urged all the elected representatives of the western Odisha starting from the panchayat to the parliament to unanimously oppose the efforts being made to accord state song status to Bande Utkal Janani.