Bhubaneswar: President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik has issued a notice to veteran party leader Suresh Routray for his comment on selection of OPCC president.
In a letter to Jatni MLA, Patnaik said Routray’s recent statement that chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik decides who would be the state Congress president has not only generated criticism for the party but also tarnished its image.
“Such a statement is not expected from a senior party leader like you. You are requested to submit a satisfactory reply explaining under what circumstances you issued the statement,” Patnaik said in the letter.
Asking Routray to reply soon, the state Congress president said it would be sent to AICC for its perusal.
In his reaction to the letter, Routray told the media that he would definitely give a reply to OPCC president’s query. “I have not committed any blunder. OPCC president himself and senior leader Jaydev Jena have spoken in similar vein earlier. They should first apologise for their statements,” he added.
