Bhubaneswar: In a fresh disrespect to ‘Bande Utkala Janani’, a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader refused to rise from his seat when Odisha’s state song was recited at an event in Balangir district.
As per information, the incident took place in Deogaon block of Balangir district during the launch of Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, the flagship housing scheme for low-income households on Sunday.
When ‘Bande Utkala Janani’ was sung at the beginning of the event, all those present at the function stood up. However, BJD leader and former block chairperson J Meher continued to remain seated at the venue.
Notably, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Sunday formally launched Antyodaya Gruha Yojana at a special function held at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district. An event was organised at Deogaon on virtual mode during the launch of the scheme and a large number of people were present at the function.
Instead of getting up from his seat as a mark of respect to the state song, the BJD leader continued to sit and even ‘jai koshal’ slogan was reportedly raised.
The incident came days after veteran BJP leader and former Minister Jayanarayan Mishra opposed the singing of ‘Bande Utkala Janani’ at an event held recently in Sambalpur. Mishra claimed that ‘Utkala’ represented only the coastal region of Odisha, while other areas including the western districts were ignored in the state song.
Speaking on the incident, senior BJD leader Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo claimed that the regional party was fully united in Balangir and all leaders and workers were together in the district.
