Odisha BJP Leader Jayanarayan Mishra Calls Naba Das’ Shardhanjali Sabha Drama, BJD Responds

Bhubaneswar: Politics over Shradhanjali Sabha of slain Odisha Minister Minister Naba Das warmed up on Thursday with BJP stalwart and leader of opposition (LoP) accusing the ruling BJD of enacting a drama and making it a political event.

Taking a dig at the Naveen Patnaik-led party, Mishra claimed that he has not been invited to the Shradhanjali Sabha in Jharsuguda as BJD has organised it as a party programme. “Why should they invite me to their political event. It is purely a BJD programme,” he claimed.

“I am unable to figure out if it is really a Shradhanjali Sabha or a drama. It is surprising that they have organised it on the 12^th day (Dwadasah) rituals with political motive,” Mishra told reporters.

Stating that all including people from the constituency of Naba Das should attend the memorial programme, the senior BJP leader said the event has been organised in such a way that people belonging to other political parties are unable to attend and it remains a BJD gathering.

Organising a political event of BJD during Dwadasah rituals is not proper, but the ruling party is doing vote politics, Mishra claimed, adding that senior BJD leader Sharada Nayak was talking about winning election on the tenth day (Dasah) rituals of the slain Minister.

“They (BJD) are doing politics over the death of a leader. How can they think about the people of Odisha with such a mindset,” the senior BJP leader said.

Countering Mishra’s claims, senior BJD leader and Cuttack Mayor Subhash Singh said the BJP leader is unable to see anything other than politics.

Accusing the LoP of making immature statement over the death of a leader, he said leaders of all political parties are attending the Shradhanjali Sabha and paying tributes to Naba Das. BJP leader and MP Suresh Pujari also attended the memorial event and Jaynarayan Mishra was also invited, he said, adding that the family members of Naba Das had given the information over phone.

Asking Mishra to refrain from doing politics by dubbing Shrashanjali Sabha a political event, Singh said the BJP leader should also avoid raising questions on the probe being conducted into the murder of the Minister under the supervision of a retired High Court Judge.