Bhubaneswar: Kendrapada rivalry played out on Twitter on Sunday as incumbent MP and actor Anubhav Mohanty took a dig at his predecessor and two-time representative of the constituency Baijayant Jay Panda.
Earlier in the day, Baijayant, who is also BJP’s national vice president, had kicked up a storm on the internet by equating the law and order situation in Odisha with that of Pakistan.
This was in response to the alleged unlawful police detention of senior journalist Ramesh Rath of the regional news channel run by his wife, Jagi Mangat Panda.
#FreedomOfSpeech
Shameful how Maharashtra & Odisha police simply “pick up” & assault journalists & do custodial interrogation, without following the basic process of law, like in Pakistan. This is real fascism. Please speak up for Ramesh Rath of @otvnews & @pradip103 of @republic— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) October 17, 2020
Also Read: Baijayant Panda’s Tweet Triggers A Row; Know Why
Anubhav left no time to enter the internet boxing ring and thew a few punches by stating that his remarks were an insult to Lord Jagannath.
This is what he wrote:
The Nation wants to know Ex-MP @PandaJay, hw dare u compare Mahaprabhu Shree #Jagannath‘s Own Motherland with #Pakistan ? Hw cud u b so ungrateful to God’s Own People (#ODIAS) who gave u n ur family the chance to represent #ODISHA for years together ? #BaijayantaInsultsJagannath
— Anubhav Mohanty (@AnubhavMohanty_) October 17, 2020
Let me remind you @PandaJay that before your defeat in 2019, you were a part of this soil which you are comparing with #Pakistan now. Mr.BP, Is #Kendrapara in #Pakistan ? If Yes then Quit #Odisha right now & forever.
ଜୟ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ??
— Anubhav Mohanty (@AnubhavMohanty_) October 18, 2020
Perhaps Mr.BP has forgotten that he was with the present State Government of Odisha for 18 long years out of his 20 years of political career?
Is this because of continuous failures & lockdown????
OR is it because of his fear of being exposed????— Anubhav Mohanty (@AnubhavMohanty_) October 18, 2020
This war of words has heated up politics ahead of the bypolls to two assembly constituency in the state on November 3.
The politician-turned-actor has had shared a bitter relationship with the regional news channel since his victory in 2019 general elections when he defeated Baijayant by 152854 votes in the ‘prestige’ battle for BJD and Naveen Patnaik.
On October 8, Anubhav filed a criminal defamation case against OTV Ltd, its MD Jagi Mangat Panda and News Editor Radhamadhav Mishra for allegedly publishing, broadcasting and circulating fake news against him. The BJD MP lodged the case through his lawyer Ashwani Dubey in a Delhi court.
It followed a legal notice, which he had sent to OTV in August for telecasting baseless and objectionable news against him.
It all began with the BJD’s Kendrapara MP being accused of misbehaving with an OTV journalist who approached him for his comments after a project announcement event for Baladevjew Temple at Kendrapara Collectorate on October 5, 2019.
The Kendrapada MP had reportedly pulled the boom of the OTV reporter Manoj Swain and clapped in full public glare after dragging him in front of the camera, ostensibly to make fun of the journalist. Some of his supporters present were also seen applauding his act.
Following a consistent campaign by the news channel, Anubhav Mohanty expressed regret over the incident four days later on October 9.
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