Jairam Ramesh Questions Dharmendra’s Silence On Disrespect To Odisha State Song, Koshal Merger Remark

Bhubaneswar: As Odisha Assembly witnessed pandemonium over Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra’s controversial statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday specifically questioned Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s silence on the matter.

Taking to his X handle, he shared a media report about the incident and asked: “Dear Dharmendra Pradhan ji, why your silence on the statements and actions of your Sambalpur colleague who did not stand up when the Odisha state song ‘Bande Utkal Janani’ was sung.”

During an official function in Sambalpur on March 8, Mishra stoked a controversy by saying that the merger of Koshal with Odisha in 1936 was a historical blunder as the region has remained neglected. He also did not stand up when the state song Bande Utkal Janani was sung. “Why should the Bande Utkal Janani be sung during every state function? The people of Sambalpur should know that Utkal refers to Cuttack, Puri, and Balasore. Odisha was formed due to integration of Utkal, Koshala, and Kalinga regions. Then, why do we sing praises of Utkal only, and not Kalinga or Koshal? What mentality is this?” he asked while addressing a gathering during disbursal of the second instalment of the Subhadra Yojana money for women

Mishra further claimed that people of Sambalpur, which in ancient times was a part of Koshal, have been exploited since their merger with Odisha. “You are exploiting us, our wealth, our mines, our agriculture, our forests… We were already exploited on many fronts, and now you are trying to exploit us culturally too. The integration of Koshal with Odisha was a historic blunder,” added the 5-time BJP MLA.

The issue has gained particular attention as Dharmendra is an MP from Odisha and represents Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency.

Meanwhile, BJD MLAs and leaders staged a protest in Bhubaneswar against the BJP legislator’s remarks, while questioning the government over its stand on ‘Odia Asmita’, which the saffron party had made its poll plank during the 2024 elections.

On Sunday, BJD’s district president Rohit Pujari had alleged that the statement was ‘an outcome of greed for a ministerial position’. “He never raised this issue in the Assembly when he was the Opposition of Leader. I have seen him standing during the recitation of Bande Utkala Janani in Vidhan Sabha. The only reason he has raised this issue now because of his greed for a ministerial post,” he claimed.