Bhubaneswar: As Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik’s writings on the role of a bureaucrat in Odisha sparked bitter criticism from leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), his elder brother Niranjan Patnaik has come out in his support.
Niranjan, a senior Congress leader and former PCC president, hailed Soumya as a very self-respecting and straightforward person who can never tolerate injustice. “I know Soumya since childhood. Though I do not discuss politics with him, I know that he is a very self-respecting and straightforward person,” the senior Congress leader said about his younger brother.
Speaking to reporters, Niranjan not only backed Soumya over his writings and editorials butt also lashed out at the BJD government in the state.
Stating that no one in the family could change Soumya’s views, Niranjan said people have every right to reject the views expressed by his younger through his writings.
Emphasising that Soumya is not against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik or the BJD, Niranjan said his younger brother is against the system and he wants to reform the party as well as government.
If the BJD finds Soumya’s suggestions unacceptable, it can always take disciplinary action and remove him from the party instead of individual leaders targeting him, said the former PCC chief.
Referring to 5T Secretary V K Pandian’s whirlwind tours of the state, the senior Congress said the IAS officer is simply executing the orders of the Chief Minister and there is no need to create any hue and cry over this issue.
It is entirely up to the Chief Minister to assign tasks to different people, he said, adding that the CM can get works done by the Ministers, MLAs or officials.
