Srikant An Expert Storyteller: Niranjan

Bhubaneswar: The war of words between Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik and former Union minister Srikant Jena intensified further with the former dubbing him as an expert storyteller on Saturday.

“Srikant babu is a senior leader. He is used to tell such cock and bull stories at times. Gone are the days when he used to speak against the former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. He has alleged that there is no transparency in Congress. All I can say that he will come to know about the transparency in the party in the coming days,” Niranjan told mediapersons here.

In his reaction, Jena said let Niranjan clarify whether he had mining business.

“One should be adept to be able to weave stories. I have nothing to say if he wants to push all facts under the rung by labeling them as stories. Why the state government is not revealing the names of the mines mafia?” Jena asked.

Also Read: Srikant Jena Removed From OPCC Manifesto Committee

Launching a broadside against Jena, Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the Congress is getting united under the leadership of Niranjan, but Srikant has become a bone of contention which is detrimental to the party.

“Srikant is talking about the Dalits and backward communities. He was the Union minister for five years during the tenure of the UPA government. Had he put pressure on the government, several Dalits could have been employed. He is a man of wily character for whom Biju Babu could not become the Prime Minister. He is an opportunist leader who will be taken to task by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi,” Bahinipati told the media here.

Notably, the AICC on December 6 had removed Jena as the chairman of the OPCC Manifesto Committee and appointed Ganeswar Behera in his place.