Bhubaneswar: BJP leader and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, who on Wednesday morning tweeted her displeasure over not being invited to the grand celebrations to mark the state capital’s 74th Foundation Day, later in the day wrote to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, demanding a probe.
“I had not been invited by the state government to attend the function. Neither the invitation card has my name nor I have been spoken to by anybody in the state government,” she wrote in the letter.
“I would like to remind that I am the elected member of Lok Sabha from Bhubaneswar parliamentary constituency. As a public representative of the capital, it is my ‘right’ to be invited to the public function which had been organised by the state government today,” the MP said.
She pointed out that “our political ideologies may be different, but you may kindly agree with me that the state government needs to learn to extend minimum courtesy to the people’s representatives”.
“I would sincerely request you to get this issue of omission enquired into. It does not seem to be an innocuous omission,” she said.
“I humbly seek a response to this letter of mine. I am sure that all the people of Bhubaneswar, who have elected me, are deeply hurt today. They would all like to know about the reason behind the omission and about the person/ persons responsible for the same,” she concluded.
“I am extremely respectful to all those among us who hold Constitutional positions and I expect the same kind of behavior to be displayed towards the seat of the Member of Parliament which, you will appreciate, is a Constitutional post,” she further wrote.
On Wednesday morning, pointing out that she had been left out of the function, she tweeted, “13th April today-This day is celebrated as Rajdhani Pratistha Diwas! There is a big function being organised by the State Govt to mark the day. It has invited almost all EXCEPT ME. I have not been invited. Wanted to attend. It is a big day. Why so?? My fault??” she tweeted.
13 th April today-This day is celebrated as Rajdhani Pratistha Diwas!
There is a big function being organised by the State Govt to mark the day. It has invited almost all EXCEPT ME.
I have not been invited.
Wanted to attend. It is a big day.Why so?? My fault??@narendramodi pic.twitter.com/eaqE818Epl
— Aparajita Sarangi, 2nd time MP- LS,Bhubaneswar (@AprajitaSarangi) April 13, 2022
Speaking on the issue, Odisha Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro said that she should have been invited for the Foundation Day celebrations.
Congress MLA Suresh Routray, while praising the programme, said that not inviting the Bhubaneswar MP was definitely a mistake on the part of the government. As an MP representing the city and as a representative of the people, she should have been invited, he said, adding that next year, he would personally go and invite her.
Ashok Panda, BJD MLA from Ekamra, tried to play it down, saying that stakeholders should ensure the event is more organised in future.
When asked why the MP was left out of the function, Sulochana Das, newly elected Mayor of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), told mediapersons to ask the organisers of the event about it.
Former BMC Mayor Ananta Jena said that the MP was also a representative of the people and there was no need for her to wait for the invitation.
Pradosh Patnaik, president of Capital Day Celebration Committee, said that a high-level meeting was held with the Odisha Chief Secretary and the Khurda Collector. “I’m not aware if MP Aparajita Sarangi was contacted or not. All I can say is that the MP plays a vital role in the development of Bhubaneswar,” he said.
The event was held in front of the Odisha Legislative Assembly building here with several ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats, police officials, newly elected Mayor of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other dignitaries invited.
